Kismet
by snowballs
Summary: The death of Paige's parents caused the decline of the relationship between Emily and Paige. Overcome by her loss, Paige leaves Rosewood to search for answers while Emily, guilt-ridden for her indirect role in Paige's loss, struggles to come to terms with her decision. Paige's unexpected return dredges up old wounds and feelings, forcing them to confront the issues between them.
1. Coming Home

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters. All characters in this fanfic except for maybe two belong to PLL. A few events in this fanfic were borrowed from the PLL storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: Below is a lengthy version of what this fanfic is all about since the summary only allows 300+ characters.

_The violent and sudden tragic death of Paige McCullers' parents more than two years ago resulted in the deterioration of the relationship between Rosewood's once "IT" couple, Emily and Paige. Devastated by her sudden loss, Paige vows to find out the truth about everything that happened that fateful night and decides to leave Rosewood and Emily behind to search for answers. Emily, guilt-ridden for her indirect role in Paige's loss, struggles to come to terms with Paige's decision to end things between them for now and desperately tries to move on in the two years they were apart. However, Paige's unexpected return to Rosewood dredges up old wounds and feelings and the once prominent "IT" couple is forced to confront the issues between them once and for all. Emily's hope for a reconciliation between them is shattered when she realizes that Paige didn't come back for her and that she didn't come back alone. Noticing the change in Paige, Emily comes to understand that Paige has let her darkness and rage inside consume her and decides to do everything she can to prevent Paige from doing something she wouldn't be able to come back from. Changed by the events since her parents' death, Paige refuses to let Emily in and succumbs to the darkness and rage she has been keeping at bay, vowing to do whatever it takes to avenge her parents._

~This is my first ever fanfic so please be nice with your comments/criticisms. Thanks!~

* * *

**Chapter 1: Coming Home**

_**"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."**_** – Maya Angelou**

"_We need to get her to the nearest hospital."_

"_Calm down. We'll get there. Just keep your eyes on the road Nick."_

"_Damn it. I can't see anything in this freaking weather. You better dial 911. Tell them there's a fire in the marina."_

"_Ok. Watch your speed. The road's slippery."_

"_We need to get to the hospital fast."_

"_I know. Just be careful."_

"_She's so cold."_

"_Emily she's going to be fine. I think there are some blankets back there. Try to keep her warm."_

"_Em."_

"_Paige! Thank God you're finally awake. It's okay, you're safe now. Take it easy. We're taking you to the hospital."_

"_What? No. No hospital. I'm fine."_

"_You need to get checked out just to make sure you're fine."_

"_Dad? Mom? What's going on? How did you find me?"_

"_Emily asked for our help when she realized you were missing."_

"_What?! Em…"_

"_I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do."_

"_You shouldn't have dragged them into this."_

"_I know. I panicked. I'm so sorry. But I can't lose you."_

"_I'm fine you guys. Really. Just take me home. I just need to rest for a bit."_

"_Just to be sure, we're still taking you. We're almost there."_

"_Dad watch out!"_

Paige jolted awake, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. _Another nightmare_. She took a deep, shaky breath and sat up from the bed. Disoriented, she took a minute to calm down herself, ran a hand through her hair and then looked at her surroundings. Her eyes fall on the clock on the bedside table. _3:21 am_. She placed her head on her hands and sighed. _Dad_. _Mom_. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and for a moment she almost let them. Almost. She angrily wiped her eyes and clenched her teeth. She could feel the rage inside her start to build again. She took a deep breath and started to count. _One_. She closed her eyes and bit her lip so hard she could taste blood. _Two_. She clenched her fists tightly willing the darkness to subside. _Three_. Her head was starting to pound. _Four_. She fought the urge to vomit. _Five_.

"Hey." A voice from the doorway said cautiously, stopping her in mid-count. "May I come in?"

Paige swallowed and opened her eyes slowly, looking in the direction where the voice came from. A sliver of light from the hallway illuminated the dark room. She nodded silently, grateful for the distraction.

"Another nightmare?" Dani asked while she entered the room and closed the door behind her. She walked towards Paige and sat on the edge of the bed.

"What gave it away?" Paige asked bitterly, not bothering to try and pretend it wasn't. "My violent trashing again? Your neighbors probably heard that."

Dani shook her head before adding, "You were yelling."

Paige laughed drily. "Great. As if trashing around and having recurring nightmares weren't enough, now I yell in my sleep. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"I wasn't sleeping." Dani hurriedly assured her, giving her a small smile.

"I just wish the nightmares would stop." Paige said quietly.

"I know." Dani looked at her sadly, noticing the dark circles under her best friend's eyes. She was at a loss as to how to comfort Paige. Ever since that night Paige showed up unexpectedly on her doorstep after her parents' death and asked for her help, her best friend hasn't been able to sleep well. There was never a night that Paige didn't wake up trashing violently from a nightmare ever since she came to live with her.

"Same dream?" Dani asked cautiously. She knew Paige wasn't really the type of person who talks about her feelings. They've known each other for years. When something was bothering her, Paige would rather keep it to herself than talk about it. It would take some coaxing to get her to open up. That was before the accident. Now, Paige was even harder to talk to. One wrong word or gesture and she completely shuts you out, retreating to her own world. It scared her sometimes.

Paige just nodded. "Why were you still up?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

Dani decided not to force the issue and took a deep breath before answering. "I was following a lead. I think I found something." She hesitantly pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from the back pocket of her shorts. "I was going to show this to you in the morning but…" she shrugged, "I was going through some of the footage my brother sent us the night of the fire at the marina. Again. I don't know. Something just bugged me, like we were missing something important. So I decided to watch the footage for that entire day and not just moments before the fire. At first nothing seems out of the ordinary, people just coming and going. Until I saw this." She hands the piece of paper to Paige. "I don't know what to make of it actually. But it seems kind of weird so I thought you should see it. Notice anyone you know?"

Paige took one look at the contents of the paper and felt her blood run cold. "I want to see the footage." She said, standing up and heading for the door.

"It's in my room." Dani said quickly.

Once they were in her room, Dani went straight to her desk where her laptop sat. The desk was cluttered with various printouts, maps and gadgets Paige knew only Dani and her brother could operate. She was reminded again how lucky she was to have Dani and her brother on her side. Dani sat in front of her laptop and began sorting through the footages. Paige looked around and found a chair, grabbing it and positioning herself beside Dani. Dani finally stopped at a particular footage and turned the laptop so it was facing Paige. She then pressed play. Paige watched intently, holding her breath. As the footage continued to play, she felt herself getting anxious. This was it. After years of following leads that mostly led to dead ends they found something. Something big. And she knew what this meant. Apparently, so did Dani and she was the one who dared to speak what they knew they had to do.

"We're headed back to Rosewood aren't we?" Dani asked her in a tone that told her Dani knew the answer to that question already. Paige looked at her and saw the fear in her best friend's eyes.

"Dani you don't have to go back with me. You've done enough." Paige said, knowing if Dani came with her it could mean reliving some painful memories.

"Are you kidding me? I won't let you do this alone. Not now." Dani argued. "We're leaving in the morning." She said, turning the laptop around to face her once again. She began typing something in it.

"What are you doing?" Paige asked curiously.

"Bus schedules. We need to know the earliest time we can get there." Dani said. "I'll give my brother a heads up."

"Wait. Dani are you sure that's the right move? Maybe someone else should meet us when we get there. Just to be safe." Paige reminded her.

Dani stopped what she was doing and faced Paige. "Someone else like Emily?" She asked warily. She couldn't help it. Even after Paige assured her repeatedly that things between her and Emily were over she still felt insecure when it came to Emily. Sometimes Dani felt like something was happening between her and Paige. She could feel it when Paige looked at her or held her hand briefly. But maybe it was just her imagination. She knew at the back of her mind that Paige still loves Emily even if she won't admit it. Still, she hoped one day Paige would finally tell her she wants to be with her.

She sighed. _Emily_. _The center of Paige's life in Rosewood_. _The center of Paige's existence actually_. She didn't know exactly what went down between them. Paige rarely talked about it. But from what she's gathered, since the accident things between them were never the same. Emily blamed herself for Paige's parents' deaths and while Paige repeatedly assured her it wasn't her fault, she still refused to open up to Emily, slowly causing a rift in their relationship. Finally, Paige decided to leave Rosewood and Emily behind knowing things will never get better between them until she finds out what really happened that night.

Dani was distracted from her thoughts when she saw Paige shake her head. "Not Emily. Dani you know things between us are over and she's with someone else now. And that's the way things should be." She took Dani's hand in hers and squeezed it lightly, causing Dani's heartbeat to race. "I was talking about Hanna."

"Oh." Dani smiled, relieved. "Hanna's cool but… can we trust she won't tell Emily?"

Paige nodded. "I trust her. I'll tell her I can't let anyone else know we're back. Not yet. She'll understand."

"Okay. If you trust that she won't spill the beans then that's good enough for me." Dani said. She reluctantly removed her hand from Paige's to continue working on her laptop. "I'll book the tickets. You better start packing."

Paige nodded once and then stood up, heading for the door to go back to her room and start packing. When she finally reached the safety of her room she sighed. _Rosewood_. Paige felt a wave of sorrow hit her. _Emily. I can't bring her into this mess. Not yet. Not until we have enough proof._ Shaking out of her reverie, Paige reached for her phone on the bedside table and nervously dialed a number she has come to know by heart.

"Hey Hanna. It's Paige." She said nervously before looking at the clock on the bedside table once again. _5:06 am_. "I'm sorry for waking you up. I know it's been a while since I called you but I need a huge favor. I'm coming home…"

* * *

It was a little after 3 in the afternoon but the rain was pouring so hard in Rosewood one would think it was close to night time. It seemed like everyone had places to go, people to see. Despite the gloomy weather the streets of Rosewood was teeming with people. Emily rushed past some of them in the opposite direction, in a hurry but still careful. _I can still make it._ She thought before checking her watch for the umpteenth time. Looking up, she checked both sides of the street before crossing to the other side and hurriedly made her way to the structure in front of her. Half running, half walking briskly, she stopped for a minute in front of a window to check her reflection. _Not bad. God Em, try not to look so giddy and excited._ She chided herself. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear before nervously bringing her hand to the ring on her necklace, she noticed she was trembling. Biting her bottom lip, she nervously looked down on the bouquet of flowers she held on her other hand. She sighed with relief when she saw that it was still intact. _Okay. I can do this. There's absolutely no reason to be nervous._ Willing her hands to stop shaking, she took a deep breath and checked the time again. _3:15 pm_. Just in time. She hurriedly joined the crowd in the bus station, her eyes scanning everywhere for a familiar face. She brought her free hand once again to the ring on her neck and started playing with it. _Paige. Where are you?_

* * *

"I just think it was a bad idea." Aria said to Hanna as they walked briskly towards Spencer's house, in a hurry to get out of the pouring rain.

"No it's not!" Hanna said indignantly. "They haven't seen each other in two years. I think I did them a favor."

"What you did was barely a favor Hanna. It's an ambush. For all we know Paige has moved on. Like Emily did. Briefly." Aria said, shaking her head at Hanna. "I mean two years is a long time to be apart. You shouldn't have told her that Paige is coming back today. There's a reason Paige asked you to pick her up Hanna, she's not ready to see Em."

"Okay why are you being such a downer right now?" Hanna asked, annoyed. "It's bad enough the weather's ruining my day not to mention my hair, now you're making me feel all kinds of guilty. This is Paige we're talking about Aria. The girl who has been in love with Emily since forever. And we both know Emily never got over Paige. Hence that messy, short-lived fling with Tara the co-worker."

"Will you stop calling her that? Just call her Tara. And you said it yourself; Paige HAS BEEN in love with Emily. People change Hanna." Aria said while opening the door to Spencer's house.

"Feelings don't. Not overnight. My plan was romantic!" Hanna stubbornly replies while following Aria inside, closing the umbrella and placing it on the porch.

"Two years is not exactly overnight Hanna." Aria said before calling out, "Spence?"

"Upstairs!" Spencer's reply was muffled.

Aria and Hanna made their way to Spencer's room and knocked twice before opening the door. Spencer turned around from her laptop screen to greet them.

"Hey guys! Just a sec, I'm just finishing up my essay for my History class. I need to turn this in before 3:30." Spencer said then turned to face her laptop again.

"Why didn't you come with Em anyway?" Aria continued their conversation.

"She didn't want me to. She said she wanted to surprise Paige by herself." Hanna replied while checking her reflection in Spencer's full-length mirror. "Plus I think she was just really nervous about seeing Paige again and she didn't want anyone to see how their reunion goes down."

"I have a bad feeling about this Han. There's a reason Paige asked you to pick her up instead of Em." Aria said warily.

"You said that already." Hanna replies exasperatedly.

"And done." Spencer said, closing her laptop and facing them again. "What's up? What's this thing about Paige and Em?"

"Paige called Hanna out of the blue this morning and told her she was coming back today." Aria began.

"_Way_ too early if I do say so myself. I was barely awake the entire time we were on the phone. But I didn't mind. I was just glad to hear from her again. I agreed to pick her up but after that call I suddenly had this brilliant idea to tell Em so she could surprise her instead." Hanna grinned proudly.

"But I think Paige had her reasons why she called Hanna and not Em." Aria argued and then looked at Spencer. "What do you think?"

Spencer pursed her lips and furrowed her brows before speaking. "Uh Hanna, what exactly did Paige tell you when she called?"

Hanna thought for a moment before replying. "She called me at like 5 in the morning and I was so out of it I barely remember her exact words. I think she said something about it being kind of sudden and she knows it would be weird but she was hoping I could give them a ride from the bus station."

Spencer and Aria looked at each other before Spencer leapt into action, fumbling to get her phone. Aria turned to look at Hanna.

"What time was she supposed to arrive?" She asked frantically.

"3:15. What's up with you guys?" Hanna asked, confused.

"She's not picking up." Spencer said while trying to dial Emily's number again.

"Try Paige." Aria said. Turning to look at Hanna, she worriedly says, "Let's hope we get to Paige or Em first before they see each other."

"Why?" Hanna asks, still confused.

"Hanna. You didn't find it odd that she told you it might be WEIRD but THEY needed a ride?" Aria rolls her eyes. "She didn't come back alone."

* * *

Emily continued to nervously scan the crowd for Paige. She was getting restless and more nervous if that was even possible as the minutes passed. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._ When Hanna told her this morning that Paige called her out of the blue to tell her she was coming back today and asked her for a ride from the bus station, she could swear her heart did an actual somersault. _Paige was coming back. Finally. She kept her word._

Two years have passed since they last saw each other, since the day that Paige decided to walk away from their relationship in an effort to keep Emily from coming with her. Paige thought Emily wouldn't understand. That she wouldn't forgive her for leaving her behind. But Emily understood what Paige needed and wanted to do. Playing again with the ring around her neck, she thought to herself, _I knew she'd come back to me._ So why was she so nervous? Maybe because at the back of her mind she knew there was a reason she called Hanna and not her. It had been bothering her ever since Hanna broke to her the news but when her friend suggested that she show up instead to meet Paige all thoughts of why she would call Hanna and not her vanished. She just wanted to see Paige. In the two years they spent apart, she rarely heard from Paige. During the first few months of their separation, Paige called her constantly. But as the months passed, the calls became less frequent. Until one day they just stopped coming.

In the days that followed, she stubbornly refused to leave her room and if she did leave it, she still kept her phone with her at all times, afraid Paige might call and she would miss it. Then one day she realized this was Paige's way of telling her things were over between them. That she was cutting all ties with Emily. She was setting her free. The realization was so sudden, so gut-wrenching, she couldn't breathe. That was the second time she broke down since Paige left her. For days she was inconsolable. She didn't know how she felt. She was heartbroken of course. She was shattered. She was mad at Paige. She _wanted_ to be mad at Paige. But she knew she couldn't be mad at Paige. Not when the reason Paige left in the first place was because of the decisions she made that night. After all these years she still blamed herself for being the reason why Paige's parents were gone. She was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea. She wanted to get out of there. She had to. _I shouldn't have let Hanna talk me into this. It was a stupid, stupid plan._

Just as she was about to turn around, she caught sight of Paige. Her nervousness was suddenly gone and she felt ecstatic again. She was about to call out to her when she saw her look back and stopped to gesture to someone behind her. When she saw who it was, Emily felt lightheaded. They haven't seen her yet. She took the time to study them. She felt a pang of longing and jealousy and her throat constricted. Paige was more stunning than she remembered. But it felt like she was looking at a stranger. Something was different about this Paige and it frightened her. She seemed darker, full of pent-up rage she didn't know Paige possessed or was even capable of feeling. _Whatever happened to her out there, she didn't find what she was looking for. _Emily suddenly realized that Paige came back to Rosewood. But not for her. Not yet. _That's why she called Hanna._ She was brought out of her reverie when she saw the girl beside Paige touch her arm rather affectionately before whispering something in her ear. _Dani_. Emily thought. _I know she didn't come back for me. But why did she come back with Dani?_

* * *

Paige sighed for what felt like the hundredth time, scanning the crowd again for Hanna. "Maybe she forgot to pick us up." She told Dani while searching for her phone.

Dani stopped looking around to touch her arm reassuringly and leaned in close so that Paige could hear her against the sound of the rain and the din of the crowd. "I'm sure she's around here somewhere. Don't worry, after that bus ride from hell I wouldn't mind standing for a few minutes."

Paige looked at her gratefully and was about to tell her something when she felt her phone vibrate. She looked at it, confused.

"Why is Spencer calling you?" Dani asked curiously.

Paige shrugged before answering her phone. As she brought it to her ear, her eyes focused on a lone figure standing in the crowded bus station, one hand fidgeting on her necklace, the other holding a bouquet of lilies and her breath caught in her throat. If it was possible she looked even more breathtaking than she remembered.

"No wonder you girls are getting harassed by 'A' on a daily basis. You guys suck at keeping a secret, you know that?" she said edgily to Spencer, never taking her eyes off Emily.

"We know. And I'm so sorry. We're too late aren't we? Emily saw you guys already." Spencer said dejectedly.

"Yep. Just now. We are staring at each other as we speak." Paige said to Spencer, trying to control her annoyance while waving hesitantly at Emily. Emily gave her a tentative wave in return.

"Who did you come back with?" Spencer asked.

"Dani." Paige said while still staring at Emily from across the room. By the looks of it Emily already saw who she was with. _Great._ Paige thought to herself.

"Oh no." Spencer whispered.

"Yeah. Exactly my thoughts." Paige said. "You know what Spencer, it's fine. Next time I need a ride remind me not to ask Hanna for one. I'll talk to you guys later."

As she hung up her phone, she looked at Dani. "So. There's been a slight mix up. Remember what you said this morning about me asking Emily for a ride when we get here and me reassuring you I have no intention whatsoever to tell her we're back?" She said cautiously.

"Yeah." Dani said.

"And me telling you we could trust Hanna with this secret?" She continued.

"Yeah." Dani repeated.

"Uh. Don't freak out but… I was wrong on both counts." Paige said apologetically. "It won't be weird if it turned out Emily picked us up would it?"

Dani shrugged nonchalantly, trying hard not to let Paige know this sudden change of plans really bothered her. "Fields? Not really. I mean, like you said, it's all in the past. Right? She has a new girlfriend now. It's _totally_ not weird. At least not for me. We came back to Rosewood for a reason and that's not Fields."

"I know. I just want to make sure that you know that being around her won't change things…" Paige started to explain.

"P, I'm over it. Honestly. It's fine. Let's just get this over with." Dani said, trying to hide the frustration she was feeling.

"Dani things are different now and I just…" Paige clenched her fists and tried again, "I have no intention of getting back together with Emily. I just need you to know that."

Dani squeezed her hand for a second and nodded. Paige was starting to get agitated. She needed her to calm down. "Hey. It's okay. I hear you. No need to get yourself worked up. Let's just go meet her."

Taking a deep breath, Paige nodded and started walking towards Emily, dreading the moment she would come face to face with her ex-girlfriend. Behind her, Dani sighed and followed silently; steeling herself for the moment she had been dreading ever since they left for Rosewood that morning.

* * *

Emily felt her palms begin to sweat and for a second felt like she was going to pass out. _They're coming over._ She smiled at them weakly even if it was the last thing she felt doing. _That's it. I swear Hanna is so dead._

"Emily." Paige said in greeting, her voice barely registering any emotion. Emily almost choked back a sob. _I missed her so much. I missed hearing her voice. I missed hearing her say my name._ In that moment all Emily wanted to do was wrap her arms around Paige's neck and never let go. She smiled in greeting and looked at Dani.

"You remember Dani." Paige gestured.

"Who wouldn't?" Emily said rather harshly, making Paige tense. Emily noticed this sudden change in Paige's posture and she wondered if there was something she should know. She turned to look at Dani and nodded at her. "Hey."

Dani smiled at her and said, "Fields. You look breathtaking. As always."

Emily was taken aback. She and Dani _never_ got along and Dani never complimented her. At least not sincerely. But now Dani really seemed to mean what she said. "Thanks. You look good too. Both of you." she said, her eyes lingering on Paige. Something's definitely wrong.

"Uh, here." She shyly handed Paige the flowers. "Welcome back. I was in a hurry. Sorry for the mix up. Hanna left a crucial part out." Emily rambled on; knowing Paige understood she didn't expect Dani was coming along with her.

Paige nodded and wordlessly took the flowers, careful not to make contact with Emily's hand. Emily felt her face flush with embarrassment. Paige was standing right in front of her but she felt like they were still miles apart. Paige was making it clear she didn't come back for Emily. Trying to swallow the bitterness she felt, she cleared her throat and started to walk towards her car.

"We better get going. My car's parked this way." Emily led them to where she parked her car, silently cursing herself for even bothering to buy a bouquet of Paige's favorite flower at the last minute.

"Thanks again for picking us up. You didn't have to. You must be busy with your classes and swim practice. I'm sorry for bothering you." Emily didn't notice that Paige was walking beside her and she felt her heartbeat quicken. She missed being this close to Paige.

She shrugged, trying not to show Paige how much being near her again was affecting her thoughts. "It's not a big deal really. I don't have swim practice and I only have two classes on Fridays. I'm done for the day." Then before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "I missed you." There. She said it. She anxiously held her breath, watching Paige from the corner of her eyes, waiting to see how she would react to those words.

Paige didn't say anything for a second before speaking again; her steps almost faltered but she quickly steadied herself, trying not to show how those three words Emily just uttered affected her. She thought she could handle being around Emily again. She actually believed what she said that morning to Dani. That things were different now. But now, walking beside Emily, seeing her again after two years, she felt herself losing control. She can't let her know. _I missed you too, Em. So much. You have no idea. All I want to do right now is stay in your arms and breathe you in._ "Still, you didn't have to pick us up. I'm sure you have better things to do. So thanks." Then, before Paige could think it through, she said, "You can just drop us off at the first motel we come across. We're not really picky." Behind her, she could imagine Dani's jaw drop and she could feel Dani's eyes on her, shooting daggers. _Shit_. _She's going to kill me_. Paige may not be picky when it comes to living situations but Dani was. Even if they spent most of their time on the road, Dani still liked to live in comfort. That's why Paige always let Dani choose where they would spend the night. But not this time. Letting Dani choose where they would stay would mean enduring a longer car ride with Emily and she couldn't handle that. It was much too soon. She'd have to apologize to Dani later. But right now she just wanted to get as far away from Emily as possible.

"Oh." Emily said, not bothering to hide the disappointment in her voice, not quite knowing what to say to that. _She didn't even say she missed me_. _Is that how desperate she is to get away from me? Just drop her off at the nearest motel from here?_ "Are you sure about that? I mean you guys can stay at Spencer's. You'd be more comfortable there." She offered, not quite ready to give up. Then as an afterthought, she added. "And it might be weird at first but you know you can always stay at mine, free of charge. These days I pretty much live there by myself. My mom went to live with my dad in Texas. So I could really use the company." Emily tried to gage Paige's reaction when she mentioned they could stay at her house. Paige's face however remained stoic.

Paige shook her head, not looking at her. "It's fine. Really. But thanks for the offer." Paige said in a way that told Emily to drop the issue. "Besides, how would Tara react to that? Your ex-girlfriend living under your roof? That could be a deal breaker" She said rather harshly than she intended it to be.

Emily was surprised. She didn't know Paige knew about Tara. She guessed Hanna told her she started seeing her co-worker. But then Hanna mustn't have told Paige about Emily ending things with Tara just as quickly as it began.

"Oh we're not together anymore." She said to Paige hurriedly. "It just didn't feel right. I wanted someone else." _I wanted you. It will always be you._ She thought sadly, wanting desperately to just pull Paige in a corner and ask her to say something, anything that resembled the old Paige she knew.

"I'm sorry to hear that then." Paige said after a beat. She didn't know how that little piece of information made her feel. _Hopeful? Happy? Disappointed? Nervous?_ They made their way to Emily's car in complete silence after that.

When they finally reached Emily's car, she saw Paige look at Dani apologetically before getting on the front seat. _What was that?_ For a second there it looked like she was reassuring Dani, subtly conveying she had nothing to worry about. It bothered her.

Dani nodded and got in the backseat. Emily sighed, taking a moment to compose herself before settling in the driver's seat. _This is going to be one long ride._ Emily thought as she started the car, preparing herself for the drive back to town.


	2. The Ripple Effect

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters. All characters in this fanfic except for maybe two belong to PLL. A few events in this fanfic were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. Since I never read the books, I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: Below is a lengthy version of what this fanfic is all about since the summary only allows 300+ characters.

_The violent and sudden tragic death of Paige McCullers' parents more than two years ago resulted in the deterioration of the relationship between Rosewood's once "IT" couple, Emily and Paige. Devastated by her sudden loss, Paige vows to find out the truth about everything that happened that fateful night and decides to leave Rosewood and Emily behind to search for answers. Emily, guilt-ridden for her indirect role in Paige's loss, struggles to come to terms with Paige's decision to end things between them for now and desperately tries to move on in the two years they were apart. However, Paige's unexpected return to Rosewood dredges up old wounds and feelings and the once prominent "IT" couple is forced to confront the issues between them once and for all. Emily's hope for a reconciliation between them is shattered when she realizes that Paige didn't come back for her and that she didn't come back alone. Noticing the change in Paige, Emily comes to understand that Paige has let her darkness and rage inside consume her and decides to do everything she can to prevent Paige from doing something she wouldn't be able to come back from. Changed by the events since her parents' death, Paige refuses to let Emily in and succumbs to the darkness and rage she has been keeping at bay, vowing to do whatever it takes to avenge her parents._

**~This is my first ever fanfic so please be nice with your comments/criticisms. To those who took the time to read the first chapter and decided to follow it, a thousand thanks! Well then on to the next chapter!~**

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Ripple Effect**

_**"Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end."**_** – Scott Adams**

It was a little after 5 in the afternoon when Emily finally arrived at Spencer's house. Hanna was waiting for her by the door, her face full of worry and silent apology. As she approached her, Hanna opened her mouth to speak. "Em, I'm so, so sorry. I totally spaced out when she called me. I didn't hear the part about her coming back with Dani. I just got so excited that she's finally coming back and that you guys would finally see each other and that finally I would see you genuinely smile again."

Emily shook her head. "Han, as much as I would love to blame you, I knew something was off. I just wanted to see her so bad, I didn't care. There was a reason she called you and not me." She said dejectedly.

"What's that?" Hanna asked while stepping aside to let Emily in.

Emily walked past her and saw Aria and Spencer in the living room. She was grateful for their concern but she just felt so tired suddenly. Hanna sat beside her and hugged her briefly. Emily fought the urge to breakdown. She didn't want to worry them. She didn't want to put them through that for a third time. "She didn't come back for me." She whispered sadly against Hanna's shoulder. It was barely audible but they heard her.

"What do you mean she didn't come back for you? I thought she said when she came back it would be for you. What's going on?" Aria asked, confused.

Emily disentangled herself from Hanna and looked at them. "That's what I thought too. But she never looked at me since the moment we saw each other until I dropped them off at the motel. I mean she looked at me but it felt like she's not really _looking_ at me. Like she was just looking at me because it's common courtesy." Emily sighed then looked down at her hands on her lap, willing herself not to cry.

"Wait they're staying at a motel? They could have just stayed with me or at your place Em." Spencer asked, confused.

"I tried to tell them they could stay at either of our place but Paige said a motel would be fine. I didn't want to push the issue. Something's different about Paige. Like something happened out there and it made her angrier. I could feel it. Like she was trying to control it, keep it in check but she was so full of rage. She didn't come back for me. I'm sure of it." Emily said quietly.

"Then why is she back? And why is Dani with her?" Hanna asked.

Emily sighed before replying. "That's the other thing. Something's different with them too. I know Dani's been in love with Paige since forever and Paige never reciprocated those feelings. She's always made it clear that I was the only one for her. But today…" Emily swallowed hard, trying to hold back the tears. "It seemed like Paige didn't want Dani to get the wrong idea. Like she was making it clear that I was the last thing on her mind. I don't think Dani knows it but I think Paige is…" Emily cannot bring herself to finish that sentence. Saying it out loud would make it real. She felt tears forming in her eyes and desperately tried to hold them back. "She's not the Paige I knew."

"Emily you don't know that for sure. I mean, two years is a long time. You even moved on, albeit briefly, but you met someone." Aria said softly.

"Yeah but it was to someone I didn't have a history with. I dated someone who wasn't in love with me for years. Dani and Paige… it's entirely different. I don't even know how long they've been spending time together. Or why Dani is even with her." Emily said, dejected.

"Exactly. You don't know anything. So before you start worrying yourself to death you should find out what's going on. Ask Paige to come over for dinner. Just the two of you. Give yourselves the chance to catch up. Because even if it may seem like Paige has changed what you two had is not something people get over easily. Trust me. She still cares." Hanna said while touching Emily's arm briefly.

Aria and Spencer smiled in encouragement.

"You guys think I should ask her to come over for dinner? Like tonight?" Emily nervously asked.

"Yeah. Carpe diem. We'll ask Dani to have dinner with us so she doesn't have an excuse to say no to you." Aria offered.

Emily thought for a moment. She really wanted to talk to Paige alone. And she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if she left things with Paige the way they are. Finally she nodded. "Okay." She gave a small smile to her friends. "I'll invite her over for dinner."

Spencer held out the phone to Emily. "Good luck." She said.

* * *

Paige was almost finished unpacking her clothes when she heard the bathroom door open. Dani made a beeline for the bathroom the minute they checked in. Paige shook her head. Dani hated public transports. The fact that she was willing to endure an 8-hour bus ride to come to Rosewood with her made her appreciate Dani even more. She would've been lost without Dani's help. In the two years that they spent chasing every possible lead they could find, which almost always led to dead ends, Dani always served as Paige's voice of reason. She made sure Paige kept a cool head on her shoulder and went out of her way to make sure they covered their tracks well. The last thing they wanted was to alert the people responsible for her parents' death that they were looking into it. She did the right thing, coming to Dani for help. She knew she should have said something to Emily before leaving about her plan to ask for Dani's help. But back then she convinced herself that it was a price she was willing to pay if it meant getting to the bottom of things. She didn't want to say anything to Emily at that time but a small part of her always thought the chances of her ever returning to Rosewood were slim. So she didn't bother telling Emily about Dani. But if she had known everything would lead her back here, she would have told Emily before she sought out Dani. Paige couldn't forget the look on Emily's face when she saw her with Dani at the bus station. She knew that look because it wasn't too long ago that she wore the same look when she saw Emily and Tara together. _Utter heartbrokenness_.

She was torn. If she was honest with herself for once she would admit that. She has always loved Emily. The moment she laid eyes on her she knew Emily was the one. She never doubted that. Even if they were apart. And when she finally got Emily to love her back, she always thought nothing could keep them apart. That their love would be enough. Until that horrible accident. Neither of them fully understood it at that time but that moment changed everything between them. Slowly they started drifting apart. Neither of them wanted to admit it but they both knew something was wrong. There were days when they couldn't even look each other in the eye. Sometimes they spent time together out of routine and not because they actually wanted to see each other. Paige couldn't take it anymore. Even if they loved each other it was starting to feel like they were together out of necessity and not out of love. Not anymore. Paige could see that being around her was hurting Emily. But while she wished she could take that pain away, she knows she won't be able to unless she found a way to ease her own. One day, she finally gathered her courage to tell Emily what she had to do. Emily pleaded with Paige between sobs. Told Paige not to leave her. Asked Paige to take Emily with her. But she ignored her pleas. She made the decision to leave Rosewood before they hurt each other more than they already have. Before they started hating each other. However, not willing to give up on the idea that they are meant to be together, she made a promise to Emily that she would come back to her when the time was right. She wasn't expecting Emily to wait for her. But if the day comes that she came back, if Emily still wanted to be with her, then maybe they can start over. What she failed to consider back then was the possibility that when that day came she would be conflicted.

"Ugh, I still smell like tacos." Dani complained.

Paige looked at her and smiled faintly. "Would you stop whining? No one twisted your arm to sit beside that kid."

"This is why I hate public transports! People are so inconsiderate!" Dani continued to rant. "And now I'm starving." She made a face that Paige knew was one of annoyance.

"What are you in the mood for? There's a vendo machine right around the corner. My treat." Paige offered.

Dani glared at her mockingly. "You're hilarious. Way to treat a lady P. No wonder you never dated anyone after Emily. You suck at taking them to dinner!"

"Don't worry. One day I'll take you to a real restaurant and you'll get to wear a fancy dress so you can show off that killer body of yours." Paige said the words before realizing what they meant. She felt her cheeks redden. She glanced at Dani and noticed she was blushing.

"So. You think I have a killer body eh? I was beginning to wonder if you were immune to the charms of other women." Dani said offhandedly, trying to lighten the tension.

Paige rolled her eyes, grateful that Dani was being so cool about it. "I can appreciate a girl's features. I'm not exactly blind."

_Dani_. She was the unexpected complication in Paige's life. She had known Dani since they were kids and has always known that Dani saw her as more than a friend but Paige made it clear that she never saw Dani the same way. When she finally admitted she's gay she had already been irrevocably in love with Emily. But that didn't keep Emily from being bothered by Dani's presence in Paige's life. She constantly reassured Emily that she was the only girl she will ever have feelings for and while Emily trusted her, she didn't trust Dani. Dani enjoyed the fact that Emily was bothered by Dani's and Paige's closeness and she never let an opportunity pass to push Emily's buttons. One day, Dani pushed too hard and Paige was forced to choose a side, further increasing the animosity between Emily and Dani. For some time it seemed like their friendship was over for good until a secret involving Dani's father surfaced and she reached out to Dani, once again restoring their friendship. However, living in Rosewood became tough after the revelation of the secret and her parents decided to move for Dani's sake. She didn't hear from Dani for some time after that until she got a letter from Dani one day saying her parents got divorced and that her father remarried. She wanted to write back to Dani but there was no return address on the envelope. She figured Dani didn't want anyone to know where they were. Paige understood Dani's desire to pretend they didn't exist anymore. When her parents died, she knew Dani was the only one who could help her so she sought her out by asking for her whereabouts from her stepbrother.

That was the only reason she looked for Dani. To ask for her help. But that was two years ago. Now, as she took in Dani's features, she couldn't help but wonder how she could have missed all those years how gorgeous her best friend was. She took a minute to study Dani as she moved about in the room, taking in the way Dani's long, wavy strawberry blond hair gently framed her face, the way her long eyelashes fluttered when she blinked, eyelashes that hid eyes so blue that you could swear you were staring at a vast blue sea. She gazed at Dani's well-defined cheekbones before moving to her lips and let her gaze travel to Dani's slender neck. Other than Emily, Dani had one of the smoothest skins she has ever touched and she felt her heartbeat quicken when she thought back at the moment she held Dani's hand that morning to reassure her that things were different. Things _were_ different. Complicated. She was attracted to Dani. She knew that. And she was actually toying with the idea of doing something about it for some time now. But today, seeing Emily, just being near her again, it was like a train hit her and knocked the wind out of her. And just when she was about to get up to dust herself off, the train came back and hit her again _and again and again_ until she couldn't get up. She can't ignore the way Emily made her feel. She can't ignore Emily. Period. And no matter how much she convinced herself that she was finally ready to be more than friends with Dani, their unexpected return to Rosewood and encounter with Emily made her question if she was indeed ready. If she was ready to give up and just accept the fact that she and Emily will never be together. She didn't know what to do and that bothered her. The last thing she wanted was to cause pain again. And she knew that whatever she decides to do about her feelings, Emily or Dani was going to get hurt. She was distracted from her thoughts by the sudden ringing of their phones at the same time. Dani looked at her in confusion before checking who was calling them. Before Paige left Rosewood, she decided to have her number temporarily disconnected so it cannot be traced while she was following leads. Instead, in the first few months that she was gone, Paige used burner phones to call Emily as a precaution to keep their whereabouts unknown. When she saw her with Tara, Paige felt she was holding Emily back with her late night calls so she stopped in an effort to cut all ties with Emily. Now that they're back, Paige decided to reconnect her number. No use hiding now.

"Wow. Of all the things they are, subtle is not one of them. How did Spencer even know my number?" Dani asked, confused, before looking at Paige again. "Bet you Emily wants to have you all to herself tonight that's why Spencer is calling me. They're running interference. What do you want to do?"

Paige knew she had to have a proper conversation with Emily eventually. The last thing she wanted was talk to her tonight but the sooner she does it, the sooner she can focus on what she came back to Rosewood for. "I gave Hanna your number this morning. Just in case she couldn't reach me. Didn't you have to go and meet your brother anyway?" Paige asked.

Dani shrugged. "Yeah but he could wait until later. It's not like we haven't spoken and seen each other in years. We just haven't seen each other face to face. Like physically."

"Still. You don't have to go and have dinner with Emily's friends. You could just tell them you have other plans that don't involve me." Paige said. She knew Dani never felt comfortable around Emily and her friends.

"Nah, it's cool. I'm kind of dying to know how things have been since I left." Dani said. "Besides, I want _real_ food P. I mean I love my stepbrother and all but he's a lazy cook when it comes to me. His idea of dinner is probably one of those frozen dinners we eat when we're on the road." Seeing the look of mock indignation on Paige's face she hurriedly continued, "Not that I'm complaining but… come on, you have to admit dinner with Spencer is a different issue. Spencer doesn't consider ramen noodles as food. Spencer is the answer to my cravings."

Paige shook her head. "Fine. Go ahead. Have dinner with them. Just play nice okay? I need to talk to Emily anyway. Clear the air."

Dani scoffed. "Please. I always play nice."

"Dani." Paige pleaded.

"Fine. I'll play _nicer_." Dani raised her right hand. "Promise."

Paige mouthed a silent _Thank You_ before answering her phone, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Emily."

* * *

"Hey Paige." Emily said while trying to control the involuntary bouncing of her legs. She was so nervous she barely got the words out. "Listen I know it's kind of last minute but I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me tonight. At my place. If it's not too weird." Emily said quickly.

"Uh, tonight? I don't know. That _is_ kind of sudden. Are you sure you're up for it?" Paige's voice came through the line. _God she missed hearing her voice._ "I mean, don't you have classes tomorrow?" Paige continued.

"I don't have classes on Saturday. Come on. Please? I can cook now. I promise you won't get food poisoning this time." Emily said, trying to lighten the conversation. _Please say yes. Please say yes._ Emily pleaded silently, biting her bottom lip while anxiously waiting for Paige's answer.

"Your place is kind of far from here." Paige said after a beat.

_I wonder whose fault is that._ Emily wanted to say. "I can come pick you up. It's no trouble. Really." _Just please say yes._ Emily tensely waited for Paige's response again.

"Okay. What time do you want me?" Paige asked.

_All the time_. Emily felt her heartbeat quicken. _I want you all the time._ "Uh, I'll come by around 8."

"Okay. See you then." Paige said before hanging up without another word.

Emily hung up the phone, suddenly looking forward to tonight. It didn't matter that Paige seemed curt just now. She would finally have the chance to talk to Paige alone. Hopefully after tonight things will be a little less weird between them. She hastily stood up and called out to her friends who were in the kitchen. Spencer was probably still on the phone with Dani. Making her way to the front door, she yelled a goodbye to them, telling them she's going home to start dinner for Paige. She barely heard their shouts of '_Good luck'_ and '_Go get her'_, her mind already filled with thoughts of preparing the perfect welcome home dinner for Paige.

* * *

Dani already left to meet Aria, Spencer and Hanna for dinner 30 minutes ago, leaving Paige alone in the motel room. This gave her time to actually let her guard down. Breathing deeply, she let her shoulders relax and closed her eyes, allowing for a brief moment to play across her features the emotions she tried so hard to hide since they arrived. She was beyond exhausted. _Emily_. Tonight was going to be hard. She knew that. Having to constantly keep her feelings in check around Emily is going to be hell but she had to try her best not to let Emily know how much her mere presence still affected her after all these years. She could have said _NO_ when Emily asked her to come over for dinner because she knew Emily wanted to talk. Saying no would have been the easier way out. But she refused to do that to Emily and she can't avoid her forever. She knew she had to keep her at a distance while she figured things out and she wanted to tell her to reschedule the dinner some other time but she heard the fear in Emily's voice. Emily tried to hide it but Paige heard it. She knew Emily was terrified Paige was going to say no and she felt her resolve to avoid Emily as much as possible weaken. Still, she wasn't ready to let Emily in completely. Truthfully, she doesn't know if she'll ever be ready to let anyone else in for that matter. Because that would mean admitting everything. Including the real reason why she felt she had to leave. The last thing she wanted to do was tell Emily the ugly, horrifying truth. Because saying those words out loud still terrified her. Saying those words would mean she would have to face the monster she created that night and she wasn't ready to face it.

She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. She only had a few minutes left before she had to keep her emotions in check again. She turned on her side and curled into a fetal position, fighting the urge to let out the rage she was feeling again. She balled her fists and was about to try and start counting to 10 when her eyes suddenly wandered on the bedside table and she saw the bouquet of lilies Emily gave her earlier. She reached out to touch it and instantly felt herself calming down. Suddenly, there was a hesitant knock on the door. She slowly got up and made her way towards it, taking a staggering breath before opening the door. _Fuck_. Paige almost lost all train of thought. All she wanted was to take Emily in her arms and kiss her right there and then until they were both breathless. Paige felt her heartbeat race a mile a minute. She was mesmerized. Emily's long silky raven hair was brushed to one side, her lips glossy from the _Chapstick_ she was wearing. She smelled of vanilla and strawberry. She wore a long-sleeve, form-fitting charcoal grey top that accentuated her curves and matching black tight-fitting pants. She forgot how breathtaking Emily is. She wanted to feel her skin against hers so much it hurt.

"Hey." Emily greeted, smiling shyly at Paige.

Paige could swear she heard herself gulp. "Hey." She said. Then, before she could stop herself she blurted out, "You look breathtaking."

Emily's smile widened at her words. "Thanks." Emily said, breathless.

Paige saw how those words affected Emily. Saw how Emily tried to hide her blush. _She was so heartbreakingly beautiful_. Paige wanted to touch her so bad but knew she shouldn't. She can't let Emily get the wrong impression. Instead, she clenched her hands into fists. At that moment, Emily looked down shyly and a strand of hair made its way to her face but before Emily could tuck it back, Paige reacted instinctively, reaching out to tuck it behind her ear, her eyes making its way to Emily's lips involuntarily. She let her hand linger behind Emily's ear for a second before deciding to put her hands on the front pocket of her jeans. It was safer that way. "Sorry." Paige mumbled, feeling her face turn red. "Force of habit."

Emily shook her head and smiled, her heart still hammering. She finally saw a glimpse of the old Paige. The night was off to a good start. "It's okay. You look stunning by the way."

Paige nodded and closed the door behind her. "We better get going." She said while walking past her, making her way toward Emily's car.

_Or maybe not_. It took a minute for Emily to find her voice again before she started to follow her. "Right. Dinner." Paige was so hot and cold with her. One minute she was telling her how breathtaking she looked, doing things like tucking her hair behind her ear like she used to, the next she was dying to get over dinner. Emily was still reeling from the sensation of Paige's hand when she gently tucked her hair behind her ear. For a second she actually thought Paige was going to kiss her. Emily took a minute to try and get her breathing to return to normal. Watching Paige as they made their way to her car, she hoped tonight Paige would tell her something, anything about what she's been up to the two years they have been apart.

* * *

"Dinner was great Em. Thanks." Paige said as she wiped the sides of her mouth with the table napkin. "It's been a while since we, I mean, Dani and me, had a home-cooked meal. And you're right. Your cooking skills have most definitely improved."

Emily decided to ignore Paige mentioning Dani's name and just beamed at her, her heart beating wildly when she heard Paige call her by her nickname. She missed that. "I'm glad you liked it. I, uh, decided to take cooking lessons a few months after you left. I figured I'd surprise you when you came back." She added shyly.

"Well, at least now if swimming doesn't pan out for you, you could have a future in the food industry." Paige said lightly, standing up to start clearing the dishes.

Emily finally relaxed and followed suit; things were starting to look up. "Paige McCullers did you just make a joke?" She teased.

"No joke. I'm dead serious. Everything tasted great tonight Emily." Paige said quietly.

Emily sighed. _And then the moment was gone_. Putting the plates down, she finally decided to confront Paige. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Paige asked warily, somehow knowing what was about to come. She tried to steel herself but nothing prepared her for what happened next.

Emily couldn't hold it back anymore. "Shut me out. Today at the bus station, you barely said anything. Like I'm some stranger. And then tonight, at the motel, one minute it was like the old Paige was back, the next it was like you could barely stand to be around me." Emily was starting to lose her composure but she didn't care. The Paige in front of her was breaking her heart all over again and the fact that it was already broken for so long made it worse.

"_Two_ years Paige. I waited for _two_ years for you to return to me. And now that you're back it still feels like I'm waiting for you!" Emily felt herself getting mad but she couldn't stop herself.

"I never asked you to wait for me." Paige told her unemotionally in an effort to seem indifferent to Emily's feelings, "You made that choice on your own so don't you dare throw that in my face." She continued, fueling Emily's anger.

"I made that choice because I love you and I chose to believe you would keep your promise and return to me!" Emily said brokenly. "I wasn't throwing it in your face Paige. I just wanted you to know that I waited. That I'm still waiting."

"Even when you were cozying up to Tara?" Paige said before she could stop herself. She didn't dare look at Emily. She knew this conversation was inevitable but she had to keep her rage in check. She couldn't let Emily see how out of control she had become.

"Even when I was with Tara." Emily said sadly. "The thing with Tara was a mistake. I knew that the moment it started. I was just so lonely and she was there. And while it felt nice to have someone beside me, it didn't feel right that it wasn't you. So I ended things. I don't want to be with anyone else."

Emily continued her confession. "When you made the decision to leave without me, you still called me everyday Paige. We still talked. For the first few months that you left you still called. But then suddenly the calls stopped. Something happened didn't it? Please just tell me what happened." Emily begged, tears blurring her vision again. "The days that followed after you stopped calling was hell. I woke up _ever_y_ day_ hoping today was the day I would finally get a call from you. Just to let me know you were safe and alive and that I was still a part of your life even if we weren't together anymore. I go to sleep _every_ _night_ praying I would see you in my dreams and that if I do see you that I would never wake up."

Emily was trembling from head to toe, her body racked with sobs. _Damn it, just when I thought I wouldn't break down again._ But knowing that the reason for her breakdown all those other times was finally standing in front of her, she let the tears come, all her pent up emotions coming in waves. "Did you even miss me?" She whispered brokenly.

Just when she felt like she was going to collapse from the pain and exhaustion, she felt Paige's arms around her. Her body reacted instinctively and she turned towards Paige. Their bodies seemed to have always fit effortlessly. But in the two years that passed, she didn't know how it was possible, but it seemed like Paige grew a little taller than her. Now their bodies fit perfectly. Wrapping her arms around Paige's neck, she rested her head just below it, letting all of her pain out. Being held by Paige was incredible. Like everything suddenly made sense again. _I love her so much._ _Why can't things work out for once?_ Emily tightened her grip on Paige, clinging for dear life, scared she would lose her again if she let go.

Paige held Emily tightly against her, her chin lightly resting on Emily's head. The minute Emily broke down all rational thought flew out the window. She tried hard not to let herself feel anything when Emily started crying but she couldn't take it anymore. She had always known that Emily was strong. But for the first few months that she left her, she still came back to check on her once in a while. Just to make sure she was coping well. She was careful not to reveal herself to Emily though. She just watched her. Because the reality was she couldn't let her go. Until one day she knew she was going to be fine. She found someone new in the person of Tara. So she stopped. Stopped watching over her, stopped calling her. It was better that way. She didn't know when she was going to return, _if_ she was going to return, and if the person that would return would still be deserving of Emily's love. It wasn't fair to Emily. So she decided to cut all ties. Even if it meant breaking the promise she made to her that night at the marina. Even if it meant Emily would loathe her forever. But just like her, Emily did a good job of hiding how broken she really was all these years. She never saw it. Or maybe she didn't want to see it. But Emily was never fine. She has always been broken ever since Paige left her. Paige felt the rage build inside her again. It threatened to consume her. This wasn't fair. How could something that was once as beautiful and pure as their love turn into something unbearable overnight? Remorse coursed through her veins. She loved this girl more than life, more than anything in the world. And that was the problem. That created the monster inside her.

For a minute Emily just let herself be held by Paige, reveling in the thought that she was this close to Paige again even if it was just for tonight. She knew they had a lot of things to figure out. That they can't just return to how things were. The years they spent apart changed them. But she wanted to try. And she hoped Paige does too. When she finally calmed down, Emily slowly extricated herself from Paige's arms and wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself. Paige just stood in front of her, not saying anything. She gingerly took Paige's hand. At first she thought Paige would recoil from her touch, but she just let Emily guide her to the sofa in the living room. Paige sat down beside her and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath and trying to relax. Emily felt Paige's rage. She can't explain it but Paige's body was so taut she knew Paige was trying her best to control that rage. Trying to shield Emily from the darkness she saw in Paige earlier at the bus station. Neither of them knew what to say so they sat in silence for a while.

Paige felt emotionally exhausted. Emily had this way of seeing right through her without saying anything. That's why she didn't want to come over tonight. Because she knew Emily would take one look at her and see the darkness. She could feel Emily's gaze on her. She knew if she opened her eyes right now and looked at Emily, she would see in the girl's eyes nothing but untainted love for her. And it sickened her. She didn't deserve someone as wonderful as Emily. But she knew she had to tell Emily something. Not everything. Not yet. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak.


	3. Clarity

**DISCLAIMER**: I still do not own _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters. All characters in this fanfic except for maybe three belong to PLL. A few events in this fanfic were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. Since I never read the books, I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is all about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~To all who took the time to post their reviews about the story so far, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I am seriously overwhelmed with your comments. I hope I will be able to do the story justice. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and deciding it was worth following! I give you the third chapter!~**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Clarity**

_**"Appearance blinds, whereas words reveal."**_** – Oscar Wilde**

"Thanks for dinner guys." Dani told the three girls as they exited the Grille. She breathed in the cool night air and crossed her arms to her chest in an attempt to keep herself warm. She had to admit it was good to be back in Rosewood even if it still brought back some painful memories. There was a time that she actually liked living there. And tonight she really did have a nice time. These girls were pretty cool when Alison wasn't controlling them. "Seriously. It's been a while since P and I had a taste of real food."

"P? Wow. I didn't know you had nicknames for each other." Hanna said, smirking.

Correction. These girls were pretty cool _when they didn't feel like she was being a threat to Rosewood's "IT" couple_. Dani rolled her eyes internally. Some things never change.

"Hold your horses _H_." Dani said to her, emphasizing the H. "It doesn't mean anything. It's not like I'm going around calling her _babe_." Dani smirked inwardly. She knew she promised Paige she'd be nicer to them, but sometimes she just enjoyed getting a rise out of these girls.

"So. You and Paige. You said it's been a while since you two ate a decent meal. How come?" Spencer asked, trying to change the subject.

"Uh, you know, we had to travel a lot. Paige is really determined to follow all the leads we find. Most of which led to dead ends mind you." Dani said offhandedly.

"So, Paige was with you the whole time she was away from Rosewood?" Aria asked cautiously.

Dani nodded her head. She knew when Paige left Rosewood that she didn't tell any of them where she was going except for Dani's stepbrother and now that Paige is back naturally they have a lot of questions. But she had to be careful when answering those questions.

"And you guys spent two years just pursuing leads yet you're not any closer to finding out anything? Why are you even back in Rosewood then?" Hanna asked.

"Wow and here I thought you guys would be glad that Paige finally returned to Rosewood." Dani said in an attempt to keep the mood light. "We found a few leads. One of which led us back here." She continued when the girls still looked at her expectantly. She and Paige agreed it was better if Emily and her friends are kept in the dark for now. They still needed to figure some things out before revealing what they know. "And before you ask, no, we can't tell you guys. Not yet. I made a promise to Paige that I would help her get answers but I also gave her my word that I would help keep Emily's friends safe." She continued.

"What about Em? Are you saying she's safe?" Spencer asked, confused.

Dani started to walk ahead of them towards the parking lot to the spot where Spencer parked her car so that they won't see her face when she answered that question. "Oh come on you guys. Paige is all over that situation. Like she'd let anything happen to the other half of Rosewood's "IT" couple." Dani said lightly, her voice never betraying the hurt that was evident on her face.

When they reached Spencer's car, Dani thought the girls would finally stop with the 20 questions and that she would be able to enjoy the ride back to the motel in peace. But luck wasn't on her side. Once they started the drive back to the motel, Spencer continued the interrogation.

"So how often did you guys follow leads?" she asked.

"Every day actually." Dani admitted. "Following leads didn't just mean spending every waking moment in a motel room. Most of the time we actually followed leads from my apartment but neither of us really liked to cook and we were so absorbed in following leads we usually ordered takeout or bought frozen dinners."

"Ugh. That is _so_ not food." Spencer commented.

Dani laughed from the backseat. "Thank you! Finally, a kindred spirit. Someone who actually shares my opinion on frozen dinners!" Out of all the girls, she actually liked Spencer the most. Whenever she tried making fun of Spencer she held her ground and their banters are always amusing. At least to her. "But I really wanted to help out my best friend so I didn't mind."

"Right. Because your feelings for Paige are strictly platonic and you didn't secretly wish you could get into her pants in the process." Hanna said sarcastically.

"Think what you want Hanna but when Paige came to me she had this wild look in her eyes. I've known her for years and I know that fact never sat well with Emily mostly because I liked rubbing that little bit of information in her face," she chuckled but stopped when she saw the glare the girls were throwing her way. "But I knew if I refused to help her she would have gone off on her own anyway and who knows what could have happened then?" she said seriously. "At least this way I could keep my eye on her." Dani finished.

Beside her, Aria opened her mouth to speak before Hanna could comment on Dani's last statement. "But how could you follow leads when you left Rosewood before the accident? Where were you able to get the information you needed?"

"Uh, I have my ways." Dani said vaguely, not wanting to reveal the existence of the other person who was helping them the entire time. _Not yet_. "There was a reason Paige came to me and it wasn't because I'm her best friend though I wished it was. It's because of my, how do I put it, _talents_." She continued.

"What talent is that?" Hanna asked, joining the conversation again.

"Not to brag but I'm a pretty decent hacker. A fact that only Paige and albeit to my dismay, Emily, knew." Dani said proudly. "I have mad skills in all things hi-tech and Paige needed my help accessing video feeds and medical files among other things."

"_My_ boyfriend has mad skills too." Hanna said. "Why didn't Paige ask Caleb for help?"

"Oh good for you H!" Dani said, clapping her hands sarcastically. "But would your boyfriend leave you behind if Paige needed to pursue a lead out of Rosewood?" Dani asked. She knew it wasn't her place but she felt she had to explain Paige's actions for the past two years. "At that time Paige needed someone who had no connections to Rosewood. At least not anymore. She needed someone who would readily come with her when she suddenly finds a lead she wanted to follow. It's not like I knew she was going to come to me. When she turned up on my doorstep unexpectedly I was alarmed. For one I didn't exactly tell anyone my whereabouts after that scandal years ago. And second I didn't know what happened to Paige's parents until that night."

"So Paige told you about 'A' then?" Aria asked after a moment.

"No. But I kind of knew about 'A' even before my family left Rosewood." Dani admitted.

"How?" The three girls asked her incredulously at the same time, if the atmosphere in the car wasn't so tense she would have laughed out loud.

"I can't tell you guys. Not yet. That's kind of between me and Paige for now." Dani explained. "Right now the important thing is that now that we're back you guys have more help in dealing with 'A'." She continued.

"Oh. About that." Spencer began.

"What?" Dani asked as she looked at them, confused.

"Things around here have been relatively quiet since Paige left." Spencer continued.

"What do you mean?" Dani asked, still baffled.

"She means that when Paige left Rosewood we stopped getting messages from 'A'." Hanna finished for Spencer.

Dani was about to ask them something else when suddenly all their phones made a beeping noise, indicating an incoming text message. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with dread before checking their respective phones.

"And now that Paige is back apparently so is 'A'." Aria said worriedly.

The rest of the drive back to the motel was made in silence, each of them contemplating what would happen next.

* * *

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was going to ask for Dani's help." Paige began, her eyes still closed, refusing to look at Emily.

Emily swallowed hard and faced Paige, putting one leg underneath her in an effort to make herself comfortable. She didn't know what to say to that. Paige knew she and Dani never got along. Dani blamed her for the brief falling-out she had with Paige even if Paige insisted it was Dani's fault. And even if Paige and Dani found a way to restore that friendship, she and Emily still never found a way to get along.

"It's okay." Emily said after a while. "She's your best friend. I mean, it's not like you were obligated to tell me where you were going. You said it yourself in your letter. You had no idea where you were headed."

Paige finally opened her eyes but still refused to face Emily. "I really didn't know where I was going. I didn't have any leads at that time. Just a feeling."

"But you knew who could give you a lead." Emily said, realizing the reason Paige sought out Dani.

Paige nodded. "I didn't come to Danielle because she's my best friend. I know it sounds harsh but that's the truth. At that time I needed to see her because she was the only person I knew who wasn't in Rosewood who could help me. The fact that she's my best friend only made the decision to find her easier because I knew I could trust her." She explained.

"I get that." Emily said gently. "But the days that followed. When you called me every day. Why didn't you tell me then?" She asked, confused.

"For two reasons. First, because I didn't want you to worry any more than you already were. Or get the wrong impression." Paige said, rubbing the sides of her forehead. "Second, I don't want our conversations to be about what I was doing out there. At the end of the day I just wanted to talk to you and hear your voice."

"And you think I wouldn't understand that?" Emily asked. "Paige even if things were complicated between us back then, I wouldn't have gotten mad that you were with Dani once you explained it to me."

"I know. I'm really sorry." Paige said genuinely. She finally faced Emily, tucking one of her legs beneath her just like Emily did. She felt spent and for the first time since she began looking into her parents' deaths, she didn't have the energy to be impassive. She could go back to being indifferent tomorrow. Tonight she would tell Emily what she can.

Emily noticed the sudden change in Paige's demeanor and knew Paige was willing to talk to her. "So what did you find?" Emily asked in an effort to change the subject.

"Not much. Most of the leads we had were dead ends. One even led to several calls made to France which was kind of weird but we decided to follow it anyway. We tried to see how far that lead would take us but in the end..." Paige just shrugged.

"But then you found something big. That's why you returned to Rosewood." Emily pressed; wanting to find out more about what Paige went through those years she spent chasing leads.

"We're not sure yet but for the past two years we followed every lead we came across. Most of the time we just did it in Dani's apartment but sometimes we had to go on road trips." Paige explained.

"So what was the lead that made you come back?" Emily prodded.

Paige shook her head regretfully. "I can't tell you about it yet. Not until we find more proof. We don't want to alert 'A' that we're still on their trail. Now that I'm back 'A' could be watching our every move."

Emily furrowed her brows before speaking. "There's something you should know."

Paige looked at her questioningly. "About?"

"'A'." Emily replied. "At first we didn't think too much about it. We were just so relieved that it stopped. For a while we were still on edge but as the months passed we were finally able to feel normal again."

"What are you saying?" Paige asked, confused.

"I don't know if it was just a coincidence but the day you left was the day we stopped receiving messages from 'A'. Since then we're able to live our lives without constantly having to watch our backs." Emily explained.

Paige suddenly felt lightheaded. _This was bad_. Before she could say something to Emily, Emily's phone beeped at the same time she felt hers vibrate in her pocket, alerting them of an incoming message. Paige spoke before Emily could reach for her phone to check the message. "And now that I'm back so are they." She said hoarsely, her blood pounding in her ears. "This means we weren't careful enough."

Emily looked briefly at Paige with a confused expression before reading the message. A feeling of dread came over her when she saw who it was from. The message came with a photo of Paige and Dani that morning as they were boarding the bus leaving for Rosewood. The message below it made Emily tense.

**Sorry I had to leave for a while to go to greener pastures. I bet you guys missed me. Give my regards to these two. Now that they're back more secrets will come out. – A**

* * *

Once Dani reached the door to their room, she willed herself to act normally so as not to draw suspicion. Entering the room, she closed the door behind her and turned on the lights. She slowly walked around the room, trying to pretend she was looking for a change of clothes when she was actually checking for signs of any disturbance. Satisfied that no one other than her and Paige have been inside the room, she stood in front of the window with the open blinds before lifting her hands to remove her top. She then closed the blinds, making it look like she wanted privacy when changing. Certain that whoever was watching was convinced she was getting ready for bed, she quickly headed to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and then carefully lifted the cover of the water tank of the toilet. Placing the cover carefully on the floor, she then retrieved one of the two phones that were in waterproof packets from inside the tank. Quickly getting to work, she made a call. Just like they talked about, the person on the other end answered on the 5th ring.

"Change of plans. We've been compromised. You know where to go. 30 minutes. Paige will be there." Dani said hurriedly and then ended the call. Next, she sent a message to Paige telling her of the sudden change in their plans. When that was done, she returned the phone to its packet before returning it to the water tank. She carefully replaced the cover of the water tank and then turned off the shower. Once she left the bathroom, she grabbed the ice bucket by the front door. She had to draw the attention of whoever was watching her to make sure Paige will be in the clear for the next 30 minutes. She went out into the hallway and made her way to the ice machine, looking around furtively once in a while to make it seem like she was about to meet someone.

* * *

Paige read the message Dani sent from one of their encrypted phones before turning her attention back to Emily. She didn't have much time left. She had to put an end to the night.

"Paige…" Emily suddenly spoke up. "Did you have any idea that 'A' has been on your trail ever since you left?" she asked carefully.

Paige shook her head, still trying to process the implications of that little piece of information. She swallowed hard before speaking. "We thought we covered our tracks well. Since you guys said there was more than one 'A' I figured we needed to be extremely careful because I didn't want to tip them off that I was looking into the events that happened the day of the accident. But I never thought my leaving Rosewood would cause the entire 'A' team to follow me. I mean, why would I? You and your friends have been the main targets of these 'A's for years so the thought that they would follow my every move never crossed my mind. Unless…" Paige didn't finish the sentence. Her mind was too busy trying to connect things, events, and clues she and Dani found over the years.

"Unless what?" Emily said, reminding Paige that she wasn't alone.

"The people behind 'A' were scared I would find something. That I _found_ something or that I _know_ something from that day and they had to make sure they were one step ahead of us." Paige thought out loud, not really talking to Emily.

"What else could you possibly know about that day?" Emily asked. "I thought you didn't remember anything other than waking up in the car moments before the accident?"

"And I still don't. That's what frustrates me. After all this time I still can't remember what happened before the accident. I must have seen or heard something, that's why I was abducted." Paige said. She looked at the time on her watch. _Shit_. She had to leave right now.

"Listen Emily, it's getting really late and I'm kind of beat. Can we continue this conversation some other time?" She said while getting up from the sofa.

Emily followed suit, her face showing her disappointment but understanding Paige's desire to rest. They've barely been back in Rosewood for a day and things were starting to get crazy again. The question she was dying to ask Paige ever since dinner was at the tip of her tongue. She was still gathering the courage to ask it knowing Paige's answer meant everything to her right now. But now that the night was about to come to an end, she had to find a way to ask it before Paige went out the door. Just as she was about to blurt it out, there was a knock on the door. Paige looked at her in confusion.

"Were you expecting anyone this late?" Paige asked.

Emily shook her head and made her way to the front door, looking into the peephole to see who it was before opening the door. "Caleb. What's wrong? Is Hanna okay?" She asked hurriedly.

"Hello to you to Emily." Caleb said in greeting, giving her a small smile that still hardly hid his dimples. "Hanna's fine but she was worried. They got a text from 'A' a while ago and she said she tried calling you just now but you weren't answering your phone. I said you were probably asleep but just the same I decided to check up on you on my way to her place."

"Oh. Thanks. But you shouldn't have. I must have missed her call. I was kind of in the middle of something." Emily said before opening the door a little wider to reveal Paige standing behind Emily.

Caleb smiled at Paige in greeting. "McCullers. I heard you were back. Welcome home."

Paige nodded at him in greeting. "Hey Caleb. Nice to see you managed to stay up and about while I was gone."

"_Hey Caleb?_ That's all I get? How about a hug?" Caleb asked before moving towards Paige to hug her. Paige hugged him back loosely before quickly extricating herself from Caleb's arms.

"Well now that I've fulfilled my duties for the night, I am going to leave you two alone." Caleb said before turning his back to them. "I'll tell Hanna you're fine." Caleb called back before waving a hand at Emily without looking at her.

Emily closed the door behind her to face Paige. This was it. She had to say something before she drove Paige back to the motel.

"You don't have to drive me back to the motel. I can just take a cab." Paige said softly like she knew what Emily was thinking. "It's really late and I don't want you to have to drive back by yourself. Especially now that 'A' is back."

Emily felt her heart soar. Paige still cared. "It _is_ kind of late. Maybe you should stay the night. I can take the couch." Emily offered shyly.

Paige shook her head. "Thanks for the offer but I really need to get back to Dani." She said before realizing how those words might sound to Emily. _Too late_.

"Oh." Emily said, her face falling. She started fidgeting with the hem of her top. "About that… I know it's not really my business but… you and Dani. Are you…" She let the question hang in the air knowing Paige understood what she was trying to ask.

Paige shook her head. "No. We're still just friends." She saw Emily visibly relax with those words but she knew what her ex-girlfriend's next question was going to be and Paige dreaded the answer she was about to give.

"What about us?" Emily asked quietly, unable to look Paige in the eye.

_What about us_. To Paige, that was such a loaded question. Because really. What about them. What were they? She knew she wanted to be with Emily. But things are so complicated and confusing right now she knew she could end up hurting Emily all over again. She can't be with her right now. Not when she was torn. "We're friends Emily."

Emily looked up at Paige in disbelief. "Friends?"

"Come on Em, you really can't expect us to get back together just like that." Paige began. "Not after everything that's happened. Let's just go back to being friends for now. Try to be good at being friends and see where it goes."

Emily swallowed hard. At the back of her mind she knew Paige was right. So much has happened between them but she was willing to work things out if it meant finding their way back to each other. Apparently Paige didn't feel the same way. She felt herself getting upset. She didn't want to be friend-zoned.

"Being friends with you isn't enough Paige." Emily said sadly.

"We did it once. We could do it again." Paige said softly, trying to convince Emily and herself to believe those words.

Emily laughed bitterly. "When were we ever _just friends_? We were never _just friends_, Paige. We were just stuck at not being something more but we were _never_ just friends." Emily continued brokenly. "I don't know how to be just a friend. I don't _want_ to know how. Not with you."

Paige closed the physical distance between them and took Emily's face in her hands. "Listen to me." She said gently, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Emily's ear, causing Emily's heart to pound wildly. "I'm not trying to be cruel. Do you remember our picnic date the day after we sang karaoke?" Emily nodded. "That day you made a decision about us because you didn't want to come back to the closet. You told me we should just be friends and even if that was the last thing I wanted to be when it comes to you I respected your decision because I knew I wasn't ready to be what you needed me to be."

Emily sighed and brought her arms around Paige's neck. Paige instinctively wrapped her arms around Emily's waist, holding her tightly for a second before whispering in her ear, "I know how much it hurts right now and I know it's the last thing you wanted to be but please try for me. I'm telling you I can't be more than that to you. I can't give you what you need nor can I be the person you need me to be. Not right now. Please respect my decision." She moved to kiss the top of Emily's head lightly and felt Emily's tears on her neck.

"Can you do that for me?" Paige asked softly.

Emily nodded after a while, struggling to speak between her tears. "I love you so much." She whispered fervently. She felt Paige's arms tighten around her and listened to the steady beating of Paige's heart. "I know." She heard Paige say. "I love you too."

* * *

It was after midnight when Paige finally got back to their motel room. As expected, Dani was freaking out. Paige calmly explained that it took longer for her to leave Emily's house because the cab company got the wrong address. Dani accepted her apology and asked how dinner with Emily went. Paige was too exhausted to tell her everything so she just said it was fine and that they decided to try and be friends for now, which Dani snorted at derisively, not letting the opportunity pass to say something about that.

"Riiiight. I wonder how long _that's_ going to last." Dani said sarcastically. "You guys were never friends. You were like, _in lust_ with her since that time you bled all over her."

"How did dinner with Emily's friends go?" Paige asked, deciding to ignore the comment Dani made.

Dani rolled her eyes, "You mean aside from the game of 20 questions? And by 20 I really meant 60 because there were 3 of them." Paige continued to wait for her answer, not the least bit amused. "I actually had fun. Spencer Hastings is a kindred spirit. Food-wise."

It was Paige's turn to roll her eyes at that. And here she thought Dani would be terrified of returning to Rosewood. Seems like of the two of them, she was the one with the misgivings.

"Did you meet with my brother?" Dani asked anxiously.

Paige nodded. "But it was more like he met with me. I thought I was going to be late meeting with him but he found a way to give me this." She said as she reached into her jacket pocket and handed Dani a micro disc. "I didn't know your brother was such a hugger Danielle." She continued wryly.

Dani took the disc from Paige and made her way to the bed where the laptop sat waiting. "Okay. One, _never_ call me Danielle _ever again_. Two, give the guy a break. He got shot by that stalker of Maya's trying to save the love of your life. He's just feeling the love. Still." Dani said dismissively.

Paige shook her head and took a seat beside Dani on the bed as she waited to see the files on the disc Caleb slipped her earlier.

* * *

Emily woke up to the incessant ringing of her phone. Groggily, she got up and ran a hand through her hair before looking at the clock on her bedside table. _6:12 am_. Who the hell was calling her at this ungodly hour? She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and groaned when she saw who it was. She lied back on her bed before answering. "You better be lying on the side of the road bleeding to death or I'm hanging up Spencer."

"Ha-Ha. Good morning to you too Em." Spencer's good mood made Emily wish she didn't answer the phone.

"What do you want Spence?" Emily asked, annoyed.

"Wow someone's grouchy. I take it things between you and Paige didn't go as planned?" Spencer asked, suddenly serious.

Emily turned to her side and gazed at the black and white photograph on her bedside table. It was a candid shot Aria took the day of the impromptu celebration at the marina.

_Emily's friends decided to throw a spur-of-the-moment intimate gathering that night at the marina in honor of the occasion. However, the intimate gathering soon turned into a full-blown party with people showing up not having any idea why a party was being thrown. Emily didn't mind but decided to take a breather. She sat on top of one of the wooden boardwalk railings and was enjoying the silence when a set of arms wrapped itself around her waist. Emily instinctively leaned into Paige's chest and turned her body ever so slightly to nuzzle her head into the crook of Paige's neck, reveling in the peaceful bliss their mere contact made her feel. They stayed like that for a while until Emily saw two couples approach from a distance. Paige flashed her a smile that always made her knees weak and her heart race and said she had one more surprise. Emily smiled widely when she recognized her parents and Paige's parents. Paige told her it wasn't a secret and that she talked to Emily's parents and her own parents about it first. No words could describe the overwhelming happiness and love Emily felt at that moment but Aria captured it perfectly. The photo of Emily and Paige inches apart looking into each other's eyes while Paige tucked a loose strand of Emily's hair behind her ear captured the peak of the glory days of Rosewood's "IT" couple._

Emily felt a wave of sadness hit her. The couple in the photo was long gone, forever changed by the events of that night. "She just wants to be friends right now." Emily said quietly, trying to control her emotions before she started crying again. "So I said I'll try. It's better than not having her in my life at all." She continued.

"Oh Em, I'm so sorry to hear that. What are you going to do?" Spencer asked worriedly.

"You mean besides try not to fall apart?" Emily said faintly, unconsciously bringing her other hand to the ring on her necklace.

"Em you can't let yourself wallow in self-pity. I won't allow you. Remember you are a hot, strong, vibrant young woman who is in control of her life." Spencer said, trying to psych Emily up.

"Paige is my life." Emily said wistfully, "So why can't I control her?"

"No! I will not let you fall into a state of gloominess again you hear me? No more 'Gloomy Doomy Emily'. I swear I will drag you out of bed right this instant if you don't snap out of it." Spencer said bossily.

"Jeez mom, unclench." Emily rolled her eyes. She knew Spencer and her other friends were really worried about her especially now that Paige came back to Rosewood. She appreciated their concern but she promised herself last night after Paige left that she will be strong through all of this. Paige told her she still loved her so she knew there was still a fighting chance and she was going to fight like hell for that chance. "Seriously Spencer I'll be fine. I managed to wait for Paige to return to me for two years. Now that she's back I can still wait."

"Okay I get that Em, I really do but I just have two things to say though. One that is not healthy. Romantic yes but healthy no. Putting your life on hold for someone who came back only to tell you she just wants to be friends is not a good idea. Two you didn't exactly wait for Paige for two years. Remember Tara? Shoulder-length brown hair, toothy grin, perky? You two were good together." Spencer reminded her.

"Spencer it's not that simple. Paige wants to be with me too. She said that last night. Well not exactly in those words but it was implied. Just that right now things are complicated especially now that 'A' is back and she wants to focus on that. As for Tara, how many times do I have to tell you? Getting involved with her was a mistake." Emily patiently explained to Spencer.

"What's wrong with Tara? She's cool and good-looking not to mention funny." Spencer said, refusing to let the matter drop.

"Well if you think so maybe _you_ should ask her out." Emily told her exasperatedly. "I'm not planning on getting back together with Tara so just drop it please?"

Spencer sighed. "Fine." She said. "I'll let it go for now because you're late for swim practice. Have a good day!" Spencer laughed as she ended the call.

Emily bolted from her bed, suddenly wide awake and took a look at the time. _6:52 am. Crap. I won't make it to the campus on time_. Emily face-palmed herself. _Great. 10 more laps for me._

* * *

It was almost lunch time when Emily finally emerged from the natatorium, her hair still wet from the shower. Her swim practice that morning had gone really well. The added 10 laps she had to do for coming in late made her body sore but she didn't mind. After the events of last night, the time she spent at the pool today somehow helped her relax. Swimming was really therapeutic for her. As she made her way to the campus parking lot, she thought about inviting Paige to have lunch with her. She could offer to swing by the motel to pick her up since it wasn't too far from the campus. But was it too soon? They _did_ just have dinner last night. Still, she spent most of her time with Spencer, Hanna and Aria and they're her best friends. She constantly ate with them. Hung out with them. That's what friends do. Spend time together. So why was she suddenly second-guessing whether spending time with Paige today would fall under being friends? She sighed. _Trying to just be friends with someone you're in love with sucks_. Of course inviting Paige to have lunch with her could mean taking Dani with them as well.

_Ugh_, _Dani_. _Always finding ways to come between us_. She will never forget the moment Paige introduced to Emily her best friend. Walking in on your girlfriend while she was in the middle of being tackled/tickled to death by another girl, a girl who by the way could be in the cover of a fashion magazine was really something that makes a lasting impression. When Paige made the introductions after the awkward silence that followed, Emily immediately knew Dani was into Paige. And it wasn't just a fleeting thing. Emily saw the way Dani looked at Paige. It was the same way that Paige looked at her. When Emily asked Paige about it, Paige grudgingly admitted to Emily she knew of Dani's feelings for her all this time but swears she never did or said anything to Dani to encourage her. Since then Emily became wary whenever Dani sidles up to Paige, taunting Emily about their closeness. Paige knew it made Emily uncomfortable and she asked Dani on more than one occasion to stop it. But Dani was having too much fun. Emily just decided to ignore it seeing how the situation stresses out Paige.

Then one day Dani let it slip that there was something Paige wasn't telling her and probably never will. At first she decided to forget what Dani said but as the days passed she had a nagging feeling that Dani was telling her the truth. When she asked Paige about it, Paige reluctantly told her what it was and why she didn't tell her but afterwards Paige furiously confronted Dani and told her to mind her own business, declaring their friendship over. In turn, Dani congratulated Emily, telling her she finally got what she wanted. Paige all to herself. Emily tried to get Paige and Dani talking again but Paige told her what happened was inevitable, saying Dani finally admitted she was having a hard time seeing Emily and Paige together. When the secret about Dani's father surfaced, Paige was the one who decided to reach out to Dani and their friendship although never the same was somehow restored. After a week however, Dani's father decided to leave Rosewood for good because the humiliation became too much for Dani to bear. Paige said she didn't know where Dani's family was headed so it came as an unwelcome surprise to her when Paige came back to Rosewood yesterday with Dani in tow. But what came more of a surprise was Paige's attitude towards Dani. It bothered her but she knew the moment she saw them that Dani's feelings for Paige were clearly reciprocated this time. It's not that Paige is in love with Dani. But the attraction was there even if Paige said last night that they were still just friends. And she had a sinking feeling that Paige had a decision to make.

She took out the keys to her car to unlock it and was about to open the door to the backseat to place her bag when someone called her name from behind. Turning around to see who it was, she was surprised to see Tara half-running, half-jogging towards her.

"Emily! I'm so glad I caught you." Tara said when she was finally standing in front of Emily. Her breathing was still a little ragged.

Emily furrowed her brows. "Tara. What are you doing here?" She asked, confused.

Tara grinned impishly. "Looking for you, duh." She said. "Spencer told me where to find you. I went to the natatorium first but a teammate of yours said you just left so I made my way here next."

"Why were you looking for me?" Emily asked, making a mental note to strangle Spencer later. Ever since she introduced Tara to her friends, Spencer had been adamant that she was the answer to Emily's love problems. Even after she ended things with Tara, Spencer never failed to rally Tara's cause whenever the subject of Emily's love life came up. She loves Spencer but sometimes the girl can be so annoying especially when she kept on sticking her nose in other people's business.

"I wanted to see how you were holding up. Spencer said Paige came back yesterday unexpectedly." Tara said while running a hand through her hair.

"I'm fine." Emily said, growing more and more irritated that Spencer became Tara's number one source for the latest news in Emily's love life. "Her return was rather unexpected but we had a chance to catch up last night over dinner." She continued, trying to subtly tell Tara she and Paige were working things out. She knew Tara was still hoping Emily would change her mind about getting back together with her even though she made it clear it was over. And now that Paige is back Emily knew without a doubt she and Tara were really done.

"But… you guys aren't back together." Tara said matter-of-factly.

_Hmm… I wonder how long it would take to skin Spencer alive, twice_. "No. We're not. Not that it's any of your business." Emily said a little harsher than she intended.

"Of course. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." Tara said before continuing. "I only asked because if you and Paige were a couple again I wouldn't want to cross any lines. But since you aren't…" She produced two tickets from the back pocket of her denim cut-offs and showed them to Emily. "There's this _amazing_ new band that's having a concert tonight and I know their music genre is right up your alley. So I was wondering if maybe I could entice you to come with me to see them. Just as friends." Tara added quickly.

Emily sighed. On the one hand she was curious to see this new band Tara was talking about and it's been a while since she went to a concert. On the other, she didn't want to give Tara false hope. She knew that look Tara was giving her now as she waited anxiously for Emily's answer. She wore that look when she shyly asked Paige to see the Katy Perry movie years ago in another one of her feeble attempts to try and just be friends with her on-and-off girlfriend. That look said _**I really want to spend time with you and I'll take it in whatever form it comes just please don't turn me down**_. Like her, Tara was still waiting.

"I'm flattered you thought of me but I can't tonight. I have exams next week so I need to study." Emily said apologetically, knowing her excuse was flimsy.

"Oh." Tara said, disappointment evident in her voice. "It's cool. I get it. You need to keep your grades up for that whole full scholarship thing. It's no big." She smiled weakly. "I guess I'll just find someone else then. We can hang out some other time."

"Yeah. Some other time." Emily said noncommittally.

"Well I guess I'll see you around then." Tara said. "Like at work." She added before starting to walk away.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you at work." She turned around to place her bag on the backseat of her car and then closed the door. She was about to settle into the driver's seat when she heard Tara's voice again.

"I'm just curious." Tara began nonchalantly. "You seem so sure that you and Paige are going to get back together eventually. I'm just going on a hunch here and say you never told her the truth about us did you? Because I'm pretty sure if she knew Paige will have second thoughts about getting back together with you."

Emily suddenly felt faint. This was one secret she can't afford to come out. "Stay away from Paige, Tara. Don't you _dare_ say anything." She said stonily.

Tara shrugged, starting to back away. "I wasn't. I keep my promises Emily. I was merely pointing out the obvious."

"Which is what?" Emily asked guardedly.

Tara's voice became haughty. "That if you were honest with yourself and to your friends for once, you would finally admit that you and Paige were over _way_ before she left Rosewood." With that, Tara turned on her heels and walked in the direction of the natatorium.

Emily sat on the front seat of her car, suddenly feeling ill. She couldn't breathe. She remembered the message she got from 'A' last night. **MORE SECRETS WILL COME OUT**. There was only one secret she can't afford to come out. She was gripped with a sense of fear when she heard her phone beep. She didn't know how but even before she took her phone out of her pocket she knew who the text was from. When she saw the message she thought she was going to be sick. _What am I going to do?_ She thought fearfully as she looked at the photo and the message underneath it. She urged her hands to stop shaking as she dialed Hanna's home number.

"Yeah?" Hanna answered on the second ring.

"Hanna is Spencer and Aria with you?" Emily asked, distraught evident in her voice.

Hanna noticed it immediately and put the phone on speaker. "Yeah they're here. What's wrong Em?"

"I did something horrible more than two years ago." Emily confessed, on the verge of hyperventilating.

"What is it?" Aria's voice came on the line, worried.

"Em, where are you? We're coming to get you." Spencer said, somehow knowing Emily was in no condition to drive.

"I'm still at school. I just… it was a mistake… it was a mistake and 'A' knows. All this time 'A' knew." Emily said, starting to cry.

"Okay just hang tight sweetie we're coming to get you." Spencer said before ending the call.

Emily put the phone on her lap and read 'A's message again.

**You had the courage to tell Paige about kissing Nate. Let's see how you tell her about this one. – A**

Tears blurred Emily's vision as she stared at the photo of her and Tara kissing, the date and time stamp on the lower right corner showing it was taken months before Paige left Rosewood. Emily threw her phone in frustration before breaking down into uncontrollable sobs.


	4. The Domino Effect

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't think I will ever own _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters. All characters in this fanfic except for maybe three belong to PLL. A few events in this fanfic were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. Since I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL, I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**:

~For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is all about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

~A few lyrics from the song "The Funeral" by Band of Horses was used in this chapter.

~A portion of this chapter contains self-harm, so please don't read it if you are easily triggered. My portrayal of Paige, her self-harm and her behavior and interactions while doing so are solely based on my experience when I used to do it.

**~To all who took the time to post their reviews about the story so far, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am seriously overwhelmed by your comments. Your words of praise about my writing are so awe-inspiring. I really hope I'll be able to give justice to the story I'm trying to tell. I apologize if I can only post one chapter each week because I still need to polish some of the details in every chapter I finish before posting it so that the story flows well. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and deciding it was worth following!~**

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Domino Effect**

_**"Repercussions are serious and they will take you places." – **_**Bryan Clay**

"_We need to get her to the nearest hospital."_

"_Calm down. We'll get there. Just keep your eyes on the road Nick."_

"_Damn it. I can't see anything in this freaking weather. You better dial 911. Tell them there's a fire in the marina."_

"_Ok. Watch your speed. The road's slippery."_

"_We need to get to the hospital fast."_

"_I know. Just be careful."_

"_She's so cold."_

"_Emily she's going to be fine. I think there are some blankets back there. Try to keep her warm."_

"_Em."_

"_Paige! Thank God you're finally awake. It's okay, you're safe now. Take it easy. We're taking you to the hospital."_

"_What? No. No hospital. I'm fine."_

"_You need to get checked out just to make sure you're fine."_

"_Dad? Mom? What's going on? How did you find me?"_

"_Emily asked for our help when she realized you were missing."_

"_What?! Em…"_

"_I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do."_

"_You shouldn't have dragged them into this."_

"_I know. I panicked. I'm so sorry. But I can't lose you."_

"_I'm fine you guys. Really. Just take me home. I just need to rest for a bit."_

"_Just to be sure, we're still taking you. We're almost there."_

"_Dad watch out!"_

Paige jolted awake, her heart pounding wildly. _Not again_. She took a deep, shaky breath and sat up from the bed. Disoriented, she took a minute to calm down, ran a hand through her hair and then looked at her surroundings. She turned to see if she woke up Dani who was sleeping beside her. _Still fast asleep. Good._ Her eyes fell on the clock on the bedside table. _2:17 am_. She placed her head on her hands and sighed. Today was the day her parents died.

* * *

Two weeks have passed since Paige and Dani returned to Rosewood. Other than the text message they received from 'A' that day, things have been relatively quiet. At least on their side of things. But Paige had a sneaking suspicion 'A' was back to torturing Emily and her friends. Last week, Paige ran into Hanna and Aria while she was out for a jog and when she asked how Emily was doing and if they received any more messages from 'A', the girls were quick to make an exit, making up weak excuses about how Hanna needed to go to the library (at 6 in the morning on a Saturday) and Aria had to go babysit Malcolm (who Paige just passed by a couple of blocks ago having breakfast with Ezra). She and Emily haven't seen or talked to each other again after that emotionally exhausting dinner. She figured Emily was busy with her classes, swim practice and her job at the Brew and that she was giving Paige her space. It was better that way anyway. That meant she, Dani and Caleb can follow new leads without interruptions.

When she tried to ask Caleb why the girls were acting so weird, Caleb just cryptically told her to leave it alone for now and to just focus on finding more leads. Paige decided to heed his advice. The files in the micro disc Caleb gave them held more questions than answers though and for days they've tried to follow every lead they can while trying to act inconspicuously.

Caleb made sure he wasn't seen interacting with Dani because to the residents of Rosewood, they had no reason to be seen together. They were pretty sure 'A' didn't know Dani and Caleb knew each other because after the scandal that drove Dani's family to leave Rosewood, Dani's parents orchestrated an accident to make it look like they perished and that Dani was the only one left. They changed their identities and assumed new lives with Dani's father eventually marrying Caleb's mother. Caleb's mom knew of Dani's existence and why it was important that they pretend she doesn't exist. When Caleb visited her, she told him about Dani and asked him to protect his stepsister. The day he met Dani for the first time outside of Rosewood, she told him of the role 'A' played in the scandal that ruined her family's life in Rosewood years ago and since then he has vowed to get to the bottom of things for the sake of Hanna and his new family. That's why he usually went off on his own to pursue a lead while Paige and Dani followed leads from their motel room. Caleb figured it was safer that way. But because he can't follow every lead at the same time the progress was slow. The stepsiblings noticed the mounting frustration in Paige so they orchestrated a faux introduction. Dani purposely ran into Caleb in public one day and pretended she was interested in him. Caleb then made it seem like he was cheating on Hanna so they could finally have an excuse to act inconspicuous while they followed leads whether separately or together. And today was no exception. The stepsiblings knew how important today was for Paige so they made themselves scarce and told her they were going to follow the lead Caleb found regarding a police report of an attempted burglary on the McCullers residence the night of the accident.

After that nightmare woke her up, Paige had trouble sleeping again so she just sat on the bed and decided to wait until there was enough light to see the road when she went for a run. On her way back to the motel, she stopped by a flower shop and bought a dozen red tulips. Her dad used to give her mom tulips every day. She then went to the bakery her mom used to frequent and bought some freshly baked blueberry muffins, her dad's favorite. Once she returned to the motel, she took a shower and changed into a white sheath dress then slipped on a pair of lavender flat shoes. Her parents have always wanted to see her wear a dress and even if it wasn't really her thing, just for today she wanted to fulfill their wish. She thought of tying her hair into a ponytail but after some thought she decided to just leave her hair down. She ate in nervous silence while waiting for the cab that would take her to the cemetery.

* * *

Emily watched from a distance as Paige got into the cab, her breath catching in her throat and her heart pounding furiously at the sight of Paige in that dress. Paige hated wearing dresses. She was never comfortable in them so Emily had never seen Paige in a dress before. But seeing her today in one, she can't help but wish Paige wasn't so vehemently opposed to it. She looked beyond stunning and she moved with such grace she knew Paige's parents would be so happy if they could just see her right now. She knew what today was. In the two years that Paige was gone, she visited the graves of Paige's parents countless times but the days that really mattered were the days of the funeral and today. Each time she hoped Paige would show up but she never did. She figured when Paige was ready she'll visit them. She wanted to call Paige that morning to see if she wanted some company but she reckoned if Paige decided to visit them today for the first time since the funeral, she would want to do it alone.

Emily sighed. And then there's the issue of her indiscretion with Tara. She can't face Paige now that that secret was dredged up by 'A'. When her friends found her at the parking lot of her school after her distressed call she could barely speak between her sobs. That thing with Tara was something she never told them and never confessed to Paige. Once was enough and she was so lucky Paige forgave her for it. But _twice_? Paige would end things with her in an instant. Not to mention probably loathe her for as long as she lived. That's why she never breathed a word of what happened that day. She and Paige were in such a bad place back then it was like they were sitting on a powder keg and one wrong move could trigger an explosion. That wrong move came in the form of Tara. Now she didn't know what to do. Her friends didn't know what to say to her when she told them. They can't say _it's okay_ because seriously, when is cheating ever okay? They can't say _Paige will understand_ because they don't know what it's like to be cheated on. Twice.

Finally Hanna told her she already knew what she needed to do. Emily said she did. But telling the truth now terrifies her because she could lose Paige all over again and she didn't exactly handle the first time very well. Aria told her to trust Paige. When Emily said she does, Aria clarified she meant surrender to that trust and believe that Paige will not easily give up on them. Spencer reluctantly said that they always found their way back to each other and if their love is strong enough they will find a way to get past it. Emily still wasn't sure but she knew she had to tell Paige before 'A' does it for her. That was two weeks ago. Since then she has actively avoided any form of interaction with Paige. She never called or visited her after their emotionally-charged dinner. She could just imagine what Paige must think. If they were trying to be friends Emily was being the worst kind. But she still didn't have enough courage to tell Paige. She still couldn't surrender. Not when there was so much riding on it.

* * *

Paige laid down the flowers on her parents' graves and stood in silence for a while before finally clearing her throat and started talking to them.

"Hey dad. Hey mom. I know it's been a while since I came here. Sorry." She said softly. "For everything."

She took a deep breath when she felt her rage starting to consume her.

"I've been following some leads for a while now and though it's been slow I, uh, managed to make some progress. Dani's been helping me out a lot. She's been such a trooper through all of this." She cleared her throat again. "I'm doing better. Considering. Stopped going to college though, I kind of put that plan on hold for a while. But don't worry dad, I'll get right back on it soon."

She made a 360-degree turn and smiled wistfully, "So how do you guys like my dress? I must look silly right? You guys are probably rolling around in there laughing at me. _Not cool_. Told you guys I can't pull this one off." She paused. "But yeah. Just for today I wore one. And uh, Emily and I aren't together anymore. I know, I know. It took some time for you guys to love her so I'm sorry. I screwed that one up on my own."

She heard the sob in her voice before she realized she was crying. "I miss you guys so much. I'm so, so sorry." She whispered brokenly. "Everything hurts right now. It's not fair." She closed her eyes in agony and out of nowhere; the painful memories flooded her mind like a terrible horror movie on repeat.

* * *

_Whoever said that the moment you were about to die your life flashes before your eyes was lying. Your life doesn't flash before your eyes. Your instinct takes over instead. Paige learned that the instant she heard the sickening crunch of metal as their car broke through the steel barriers and careened off the cliff. As she watched in slow motion from the backseat as the nose of the car rapidly approached the ledger protruding from the cliff face. As she saw Emily's body twist at an odd angle that would surely propel her to the front of the car and to certain death. As she felt her body move of its own accord to block the space between the driver's seat and the passenger seat while facing Emily in an attempt to stop it. As she felt the impact of Emily's body hitting her hard and the excruciating pain that told her she broke something. As she smiled faintly knowing Emily is alive and safe. As she heard Emily's screams while she succumbed to the pain. Then everything went black…_

_**88888**  
_

_"BPs dropping. She's crashing. Damn it. Where is all this blood coming from?" Paige heard someone say. She felt so tired, her eyes heavy. She was drifting in and out of consciousness, struggling to breathe, to stay awake…_

_**88888**  
_

_"Charge to 300! Clear!" Paige felt the current jolt through her body again, resuscitating her for what felt like the hundredth time. Somewhere she thought she heard Emily's voice telling her she loves her and that everything is going to be fine. She struggled to speak but the blackness overwhelmed her…_

_**88888**  
_

_Paige was confined in the ICU for several weeks, her condition heavily monitored by the doctors. The injuries she sustained from the car crash among other things constituted of a clavicle fracture, several broken ribs, abdominal trauma and a ruptured spleen. She had to be revived several times on the way to the hospital and immediately went into surgery. Emily sustained a broken wrist and some cuts and bruises from the broken glasses when the car windows shattered. She never left the hospital, deathly afraid that Paige's condition would get worse. The doctors recommended that the state of Paige's parents be revealed to her when she's stable noting that her body might not be able to handle the psychological trauma of the news. When Paige was finally transferred to a regular hospital room, Emily and her parents delicately broke to her the news but she already had a sinking sensation of her loss even before they said it. Her father died upon impact. Her mother was on life support ever since the accident and Paige had to make a decision. She felt numb. For days she just sat on her hospital bed, staring into space, reliving every moment before, during and after the crash. It was taking all of her energy to just breathe. She wanted to sleep and never wake up. She wanted to forget everything. She wanted to die._

_**88888**  
_

_Emily's friends spent most of their time taking turns watching over her. Sometimes Emily's parents came to visit but most days it was just her and Emily. Emily tried to engage Paige in conversations but Paige just retreated to her own world. She flinched every time Emily tried to touch her and though Paige knew that her knee-jerk reaction hurt Emily, she didn't care. Right now she can't bring herself to care. The doctors noticed the signs of psychological trauma Paige was exhibiting and suggested she see a therapist or attend support groups to help her cope with the loss. Everyone wanted to help. Everyone kept saying words of comfort, assurances that things will get better, trying to boost her morale. She wanted everyone to shut up. She wanted to die._

_**88888**  
_

_When Paige was well enough to stand, she finally went to her mother's room to see her. Emily and her parents watched from the hallway as the reality of what happened finally hit Paige and she let out an anguished cry before breaking down into uncontrollable sobs. Emily started to go inside to comfort Paige but her mother stopped her, wordlessly telling her to let Paige grieve on her own. Emily hugged her mother in tears, at a loss as to how to help Paige through this, silently blaming herself for Paige's loss. Paige spoke a few words to her mother before finally turning off the machines that sustained her all this time. When the time of death was called, Paige dazedly walked out of the room, walking past Emily without looking at her. Once Paige was back in her room and has settled on the bed, Emily pleadingly asked her to say something. Anything. She asked Paige to lash out at her, blame her. But Paige just turned her back to Emily. She had nothing to say to her. She just wanted to die._

_**88888**  
_

_The funeral was held on a rainy day in Rosewood. Amidst the clap of thunder and the heavy rain, the priest held a poignant service. Friends of her parents as well as Paige's friends were there to pay their respects. Emily's friends stood beside her as she watched from afar, guilt-ridden. She couldn't bring herself to attend the funeral when Paige has made it clear that she wasn't wanted. She couldn't bring herself to attend the funeral she somehow caused. When the mourners have all gone, Paige was the only one left in front of her parents' graves, not caring that the rain was soaking her. Emily finally gathered the courage to approach her, steeling herself for Paige's hurtful silence and stood beside her, sheltering them both from the pouring rain with her umbrella. She was surprised when Paige spoke._

_"Where were you?" Paige asked, her voice hoarse, barely above a whisper._

_"I was at the back. I wasn't sure you wanted me to come so I stayed there with my friends." Emily admitted._

_Paige nodded. They stood in silence for a while until Emily finally decided to hold Paige's hand. It was cold, like the night of the accident. Emily held her hand firmly before Paige broke the contact for a second to intertwine them instead. Emily felt a sob escape her lips and instinctively half-turned her body towards Paige's, leaning her forehead lightly on Paige's uninjured shoulder. "I'm so sorry." She whispered, crying. Paige swallowed the bitterness she was feeling and whispered in her ear, "It wasn't your fault. It was mine." Emily looked up at her in confusion. Paige kissed Emily's forehead gently before disentangling their hands and wordlessly walked away from her amidst the pouring rain._

_**88888**  
_

_That night the nightmares started. It was always the same dream. The beginning. The end. Always the same. She always saw the monster she created that night. She couldn't escape it. Emily decided to live with Paige once she was released from the hospital. Her parents agreed to the temporary living situation knowing Paige and Emily needed each other. She slept beside Paige even if it felt like their relationship has been put on hold indefinitely. Paige was pulling away from her. Ever since the accident, apart from the one time Paige held her hand at the cemetery, Paige seemed like she was reluctant to touch Emily and that frustrated her. She couldn't help but wonder if Paige has hated her all this time for coming to her rescue that night and just didn't have the courage to say it to her face. Paige never opened up to her about it whenever she tried to steer the conversation towards that night, choosing instead to retreat to her own world. When Emily noticed Paige's night terrors and panic attacks, she pleaded with her to see a doctor about it. She was given a prescription for antidepressants but Paige didn't want to be dependent on those. She tried to go to grief counseling but didn't find it helpful and for a while she attended support groups until one day she decided it wasn't helping either._

_She and Emily started to constantly argue, the latter telling her the reason the counseling and support groups weren't working was because Paige didn't want to open up, begging her to let people help for once. Fed up, Paige finally lashed out at Emily, telling her to mind her own business and just leave her alone. Tears stinging her eyes, Emily saw for the first time a glimpse of the rage she knew Paige was keeping at bay all along and she felt scared for Paige._

_**88888**  
_

_Paige was home alone when she felt the urge again. She was about to jump into the shower when she saw the cutter on her way to the bathroom. Without hesitating she grabbed it and brought it with her. She let the water run through her body, going through the motions of washing herself calmly. When she was done, she stayed a little longer under the warm water and closed her eyes before raising her head momentarily to feel the water on her face. Her skin was buzzing with anticipation. It had been a while since she felt anything other than rage. It felt good. She blindly grabbed for the cutter by the sink and opened her eyes, staring at the wall in front of her. Her mind was suddenly buzzing. Her skin expecting the feel of the cold blade soon. It had been a while since she did this and she knew it would sting. But she wanted to feel that pain again. The pain that she could control. She let the blade touch her thigh gently, lightly at first, getting herself used to the sting. Then she let herself feel the pain. She watched mesmerized as her blood tainted the floor. It was such a release. She did one more cut just for good measure. And then another just in case._

_**88888**  
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_Emily noticed the change in Paige's attitude in the days that followed. She seemed less troubled than usual and made conversation about anything but the accident. She was also starting to pay attention to Emily again. Emily figured she wouldn't force the issue and ask what Paige was on. The important thing was Paige was starting to get better. A few weeks later, she moved out of Paige's house. Despite the nightmares she kept having every night, Paige assured Emily she was getting better and that Emily's parents probably miss having her around so she reluctantly agreed to move out. Paige was helping her with the boxes when she accidentally bumped her thigh on the doorway and she inadvertently winced. Emily saw this and asked what happened. Paige just dismissed it saying her thigh was sore from swimming._

_**88888**  
_

_Now that Emily was gone, Paige looked forward to getting the nightmares. She was used to becoming a monster in her dreams. At night she let the monster inside her come out. Because Paige was comforted with the thought that in the morning she could punish that monster relentlessly. Over and over and over again._

_"Ow!" Paige said before she could stop herself when Emily accidentally leaned on her thigh while trying to grab the remote control on Paige's other side on the sofa. They were watching a movie at Paige's house, another attempt to get back to where their relationship used to be._

_"Sorry." Emily said hurriedly. "Your muscles still sore from swimming?" She asked Paige curiously._

_"Yeah. But it will go away sooner or later." Paige said dismissively, grateful for the excuse Emily gave her._

_"Where does it hurt? Maybe I could massage it." Emily offered._

_"Em, I'm fine. Really. Let's just go back to watching the movie." Paige said, trying to shift Emily's attention. It didn't work._

_"What aren't you telling me?" Emily asked, suspicious._

_"What do you mean?" Paige said, trying to look confused._

_Without another word, before Paige could even react, Emily ran up the stairs to Paige's room, looking everywhere for the thing she hoped she wouldn't discover. Not finding anything in the room, she decided to go to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet, letting out a sob when she saw she was right. She turned around to see Paige standing behind her, looking on the bathroom floor._

_"Since when?" She asked Paige. "I thought you were getting better? You __**said**__ you were getting better!" Emily shouted, fear more than anger evident in her voice._

_"I __**am**__ getting better. This way I get to live with the consequences." Paige answered, trying to make Emily understand. "Don't you get it? I can function because of this. I can __**feel**__ because of this." Paige said, showing Emily the scars. "I need to cut because the only time I feel anything other than rage is when that blade touches my skin."_

_The meaning of Paige's words shocked Emily. "You don't feel anything when you're with me?" Emily whispered, dazed. "You'd rather feel pain than love? What about me Paige? Don't you need me? Am I not enough reason for you to want to feel? To live?" She asked, tears streaming down her cheeks._

_"There comes a point when even that isn't enough." Paige said stoically. She felt the stinging sensation on her cheek before she could comprehend what happened. The slap Emily gave her was followed immediately by Emily's arms wrapping around her neck tightly. Paige stood, unmoving._

_"I love you. So much. But I can't keep doing this." Emily sobbed._

_Paige's eyes widened at the realization of what she just said to Emily and finally wrapped her arms around Emily's waist, resting her head on Emily's shoulder as the tears escaped from her eyes unwillingly. "I'm so sorry." She whispered._

_"Just tell me what's wrong." Emily said quietly. "Please let me in." She begged._

_Paige shook her head, terrified to tell Emily the real reason she kept punishing herself, and just let the tears fall. "I'm in trouble aren't I? I need help." She whispered finally._

_Emily's eyes brimmed with tears again and she looked at Paige. "Okay. We'll get you help." She assured her. "You'll get better. We'll be fine."_

_**88888**  
_

_With the help of Emily's parents, they found a support group for people battling with Major Depressive Disorder. They met at Radnor, a town near Rosewood, and while at first Emily drove Paige to and from meetings, the exhaustion was affecting Emily's performance at school and in swimming so Paige decided she should temporarily move to Radnor until she gets better. Emily had her misgivings but Paige promised this time she __**will**__ get better for Emily. Emily finally relented on the condition that she gets to stay with Paige during the weekends. Paige agreed as long as it won't affect Emily's life outside of Paige. The first few weeks that Emily came to visit were awkward. They found themselves engaged in small talks, with her lying and telling Emily that she was making progress even if she was merely sharing to the group insignificant things and not the real reason for her rage and desire to punish herself constantly. When the weekend was about to come to an end and Emily had to leave for Rosewood, their goodbyes amounted to awkward hugs and kisses on the cheek. They were drifting further apart._

_**88888**  
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_Emily was late getting to Radnor the day of Paige's return to Rosewood. When she finally arrived, Paige immediately noticed that Emily had been crying and asked why she seemed so upset. Emily said she just missed having Paige around but everything is okay now. And now that Paige is better they can start over. But on the drive home, Paige realized that there was no starting over. Something felt different between them._

_**88888**  
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_For a few weeks, Paige tried to adjust to life in Rosewood without her parents but the nightmares never left her, something she never told Emily. Though she wasn't physically punishing herself anymore, Paige became more and more restless and the rage she was feeling ever since the accident got harder to control. She could feel it and she knew she had to do something or she could end up hurting Emily more than she already had. She decided to leave Rosewood. When Emily asked why, she said that her time at the support group made her want to channel all her destructive feelings and tendencies into something productive. Like find out what really happened the night of the accident. Emily was against the idea, saying it was dangerous and that she was just getting better. Paige told her she was far from better and that she and Emily have no chance of getting back to being a normal couple if she can't let go of that night._

_**88888**  
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_"This spot certainly brings back memories." Emily said as she approached Paige from behind, the music from one of the restaurants lining the boardwalk carrying softly to the place where they stood._

_"Yeah. It does." Paige said quietly before facing Emily, a wave of sadness suddenly hitting her when she realized there was no turning back now. "Thanks for coming." She said, trying her best to smile._

_"I almost didn't, actually." Emily admitted as she walked towards Paige, one hand outstretched. "Dance with me McCullers." She smiled sadly._

_Paige took Emily's hand, pulling her close. Emily rested her head on Paige's chest, listening to the steady beat of her heart. They swayed slowly to the music._

_"I love you. Remember that." Paige whispered to her fervently, making Emily move closer to her._

_**I'm coming up only to hold you under**_

_Paige cleared her throat. "I'm leaving tomorrow."_

_**And coming up only to show you wrong**_

_"Are you sure you have to leave?" Emily asked. "I want to come with you." Emily said quietly when Paige nodded her head._

_**And to know you is hard; we wonder...**_

_"Are you sure about that?" Paige whispered, her breath catching in her throat._

_**To know you all wrong; we warn.**_

_Emily exhaled slowly. "Back when Maya asked me to do it I said no because it didn't feel right." She confessed. "But now, yes. Just ask me to come with you and I'll do it." She said pleadingly._

_**Ooooooooh, Oooooooooh**_

_"I can't ask you to do that Em. I don't want to take you away from everything. It's still not right." Paige said, pained._

_**Ooooooooh, Oooooooooh**_

_Emily stopped to look at Paige. "Yes it is! Being away from you isn't." She said. "Just take me with you Paige. Please."_

_Paige stepped away from Emily and shook her head. "You've been through enough. I'm sorry I put you through hell these past few months."_

_"Then why are you doing this? Why are you leaving me?" Emily said, her voice betraying her pain. "If you're so sorry then don't leave. Please." She begged as tears fell from her eyes._

_"What am I supposed to do here?" Paige asked miserably. "Emily we can't keep lying to ourselves. Don't tell me it doesn't hurt being around me because I can see it in your eyes. And I don't want to keep hurting you. Unintentional or not. I don't want the day to come when you and I wake up hating each other for making the other miserable. I need to find the people who did this because as long as they're out there I can't just let it go." Paige said in a voice that was full of hatred it startled Emily. This wasn't just about them. Paige wasn't telling her something._

_"Then tell me why you're really leaving." Emily said resignedly. "Just tell me the truth. This isn't just about us. There's something you're not telling me."_

_When Paige didn't say anything, Emily decided to play a hunch. "I'm sorry your parents are dead because of me." Emily said quietly._

_"This again." Paige said exasperatedly. "Emily how many times do I have to tell you? It wasn't your fault."_

_Emily looked at her and crossed her arms, trying to comfort herself. "Stop trying to make me feel better because you and I both know they wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for me." Emily said dejectedly. She just wished Paige would lash out at her, get things out in the open. "I'm just trying to understand why you won't let me come with you. Why you want to leave. Is it because you have to get away from me? Because looking at me reminds you of that night?"_

_"Emily there is no other reason. I'm not trying to get away from you. We all made our choices that night. I can't blame you because it was my fault not yours." Paige said quietly, like she was ashamed to admit it._

_"Then let me come with you." Emily pleaded._

_Paige knew Emily wasn't going to take no for an answer but she can't drag Emily into this. She won't allow Emily to become a monster like her. "Okay." She lied. "If you're sure about this then okay. You can come with me."_

_Paige's heart broke when she saw how those words made Emily happy. Knowing it would be the last time, Paige pulled Emily close to her, hugging her tightly, trying to breathe her in, memorizing the feel of her body against hers. "Thank you." She whispered in Emily's ear. "I'm sorry." She thought to herself._

_**88888**  
_

_The night she and Emily were supposed to leave, Paige watched from the shadows as Emily drove up to her house and got out of the car when she saw her friends sitting on the curb leading to Paige's house. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked them._

_"What Em no goodbye? You were just going to pack your bags and leave Rosewood with Paige without telling us?" Spencer asked indignantly as she stood up and brushed the back of her pants._

_"I was going to say goodbye. I just had to pick up Paige first." Emily lied._

_"Don't lie Em. Paige told us." Aria said gently. "What were you thinking? Why are you doing this?"_

_"I have to help her. If it wasn't for me none of this would've happened." Emily said. "I can't let her do this alone."_

_"You might not have a choice." Hanna said, handing her an envelope._

_Paige watched as Emily reached out to take the letter she wrote, her name scrawled in front of the envelope in Paige's handwriting, and for a second thought that Emily was going to faint._

_"I'm sorry Em. She's gone." Hanna said softly._

* * *

"You should start wearing dresses. It suits you." Emily's teasing voice behind her startled Paige and she looked at Emily.

"Nah. Not really my thing. Just felt like wearing one today." She said to her before looking out at the water again. After her visit at the cemetery, Paige found herself at the marina, standing on the same spot where Aria took that candid shot of her and Emily. She wanted to jog her memory of the events before the fire but she still came up blank, greatly frustrating her.

"What are you doing here?" Paige asked Emily as she moved to stand beside Paige, looking out at the water as well.

"I come here a lot actually. Since you left. I always come here before going home. I guess it just made me feel close to you somehow." Emily confessed.

They stood in silence before she spoke again. "I, uh, actually come here to do this." Emily leaned over to the other side of Paige to touch the post Paige was leaning against, accidentally brushing her arms against Paige's, making her heart beat wildly.

Emily was standing so close Paige could feel Emily's warm breath against her cheek and for a second she was tempted to face her and capture her lips against hers but instead she forced herself to look at where Emily was pointing. Paige watched as Emily took a worn-out key from her jeans pocket and carved another line on what seems to be some sort of scoring system. Four vertical lines and then the fifth line slashing diagonally across the four lines. Paige looked at it closely and noticed that there were several similar lines etched on the post. She looked at Emily curiously. "What are you doing?"

"The day you left I came here after I read your letter. I don't know what exactly made me think of doing it but I figured I would start counting the days until you came back to me." She looked at the water in front of them again. "As of today I have been waiting for 773 days for you to return to me." She said smiling wistfully.

Paige looked at Emily from the corner of her eye, feeling nothing but overwhelming love for the girl standing beside her. She doesn't deserve someone like Emily. Emily doesn't deserve to be with someone who won't even look at herself in the mirror and can't live with the consequences of her actions. She needed to be forgiven. By whom, she didn't know, but she wanted to earn that forgiveness if it meant Emily will be her salvation.

"I've been gone longer than that." Paige said to her, looking at the water as well. She could feel Emily's gaze on her. "The day my parents died was the day I disappeared." She admitted.

"Did you ever hate me?" Emily asked, her voice scared.

Paige looked at her in confusion. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Because after all this time you still never answered that question. You just kept telling me I shouldn't blame myself for what happened but I do. I blame myself Paige and I never forgave myself." Emily said, looking down at her feet. "When I realized you were missing and I ran into them I should have just told them they had nothing to worry about when they asked if you were with me. But they looked so worried and panicked I told them I was actually looking for you."

Something in Paige's mind clicked. She and Emily never talked about the events of that day, mostly because Paige refused to. This was the first time she was hearing about what happened while she was missing. "What do you mean my parents were looking for me? I thought you went to them for help?" She asked, her pulse racing.

Emily shook her head and looked at her. "No. I ran into them while I was looking for you and they asked if you were with me."

"So my parents knew I was missing. You didn't tell them." Paige held her breath, the significance of the answer to that statement unknown to Emily.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. But when they were about to leave I couldn't help myself. I was so worried about you so I asked if they could take me here because this was the only place I haven't looked yet and my car was in the shop that day." She started fidgeting with her hands. "If I didn't do that they wouldn't have been in that accident. But I was so impatient. I've always been so impatient when it comes to you."

Paige saw how upset Emily was becoming. It angered her that she and Emily have become victims of fate when she had believed so strongly that it was on their side. All these years she wasn't the only one who was suffering. It was time she ended Emily's. "Do you have other plans for today?" Paige asked, touching Emily's arm lightly.

Emily shook her head, "Why?"

"Do you still trust me?" Paige asked.

"Of course." Emily said, growing more curious.

"I want to take you somewhere." Paige said as she walked towards the parking lot, heading for Emily's car.


	5. Revelations

**DISCLAIMER**: I will never own _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters. All characters in this fanfic except for maybe three belong to PLL. A few events in this fanfic were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. Since I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL, I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is all about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~To all who took the time to post their reviews about the story so far, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am seriously overwhelmed by your comments. I hope I'll be able to give justice to the story I'm trying to tell. Again, I apologize if I can only post one chapter each week because I still need to polish some of the details in every chapter I finish before posting it so that the story flows well. I plan on completing this story a few days before 3b starts so the chapters are going to be quite lengthy. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and deciding it was worth following.~**

**~A brief shout out to **_**AliasThorne**_** and **_**shokoshik**_**. Thanks for the PM you guys. I seriously appreciate your comments!~**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Revelations**

_**"Between lovers a little confession is a dangerous thing."**_** – Helen Rowland**

"So Mr. Talbot said he saw someone inside the house around 10. That's right around the time Paige's parents and Emily were at the marina." Dani thought out loud as she and Caleb walked out of the house of the neighbor who made the call regarding the attempted burglary at the McCullers' house. "Quick, hold my hand." Dani muttered, remembering they were supposed to act like a couple.

"Gotcha." Caleb said while casually taking Dani's hand in his, his other hand reaching for his phone. He read the message before putting it back in his pocket. "I just got a text from Paige. She said Emily told her the night she went missing her parents were already out looking for her. They knew beforehand that she was missing."

Dani's brows furrowed. "That's a good lead. That means somebody must have told them something that day. Something that made them think Paige was in danger."

"How does that help us? We still need to find out the who and the what in that sentence and honestly, that's what we're doing right now." Caleb said impatiently.

"Quit whining. You're like a girl." Dani said, elbowing him.

"You are so whipped." He tells her, rolling his eyes.

"I'm so not! I just want to help her get to the bottom of things. Plus I kind of want to have a normal family." Dani said seriously.

"I know." Caleb says quietly before a mischievous look crossed his face. "But which reason comes first?" He said, laughing at Dani's face turning red.

"You're such an ass." Dani said punching his arm lightly.

"I'm just looking out for you." Caleb said quietly while rubbing his arm. "I don't want you to get your hopes up. Those two were quite the couple back then."

Dani nodded sadly. "I know that. I was here for the whole will they/won't they thing. Back when they were still trying to sort their feelings out. It really sucked." She confessed. "Then you see them exchanging these glances at school. Double sucked. And then you hear people say that it was just a matter of time before they end up together. Triple sucked." Dani added miserably. "But that version of Emily and Paige are long gone Caleb. And of course I want Paige to be happy again. It's just kinda hard to tell my brain to stop hoping that it would be me who could do that when my heart is kinda stubborn. They're both stubborn. So I'm kind of waiting to see which is more stubborn."

Caleb stopped walking to turn to his stepsister and hug her. "I'm sorry for the triple sucking thing." He said, trying to lighten the mood. He felt Dani chuckle. "I promise I'll be here when you want to attempt to siphon money from the rich to make yourself feel better. Just promise me you'll return it after." Dani finally laughed.

"You're the coolest." She said gratefully.

"What in the hell?!" Hanna's disbelieving voice broke the warm moment between Dani and Caleb as they turned around to see Emily's friends glaring at them infuriatingly.

* * *

"What are we doing back here?" Emily asked Paige curiously as they got out of Emily's car. She briefly looked at the building in front of her then back at Paige again. They were in Radnor, standing in front of the place where Paige used to attend the support group for people with MDD.

"I never stopped coming here. Not even after I came back to Rosewood back then." Paige explained. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. It wasn't because I was still thinking about hurting myself." She hurriedly assured Emily when she saw her eyes widen. "Going here has really helped me control my rage. Especially the entire time I was away from you. I just felt lost and this is the second place I felt safe."

Emily exhaled. "You have no idea how relieved that makes me feel. That even if you felt you couldn't talk to me you had a safe place you were able to share your feelings."

Paige laughed wryly. "I said I _came_ here. I didn't say I shared my feelings. I never did that. I wasn't ready to admit the reason why I'm this angry. Saying it out loud terrifies me."

"Then why are we here?" Emily asked, confused.

"Because as much as I couldn't bring myself to face what I did that night, I can't let you go on thinking you were to blame. For you I can be brave." Paige said as she took Emily's hand and led the way inside, her heart pounding at what she was about to do.

* * *

"You and Dani are stepsiblings?! How the heck did that happen?!" Hanna asked incredulously once they were back in Spencer's house. Caleb and Dani let Hanna rant at them in public, both thinking it will sell the fact that they were caught sneaking around. As soon as the girls left, Caleb and Dani went their own way and when they thought it was safe, Caleb called Hanna, pleading with her to let them explain.

Dani nodded. "Caleb's mom married my dad a few years ago but I haven't seen my dad since then. I don't even know where they are right now. The people behind what happened to my family don't know that my parents are still alive. My dad said it was better that way. But I refuse to live the rest of my life away from my family so I'm trying to figure it out." She explained.

"And I'm helping her. Because it kinda sucks that I have this real family for the first time and we can't even spend time together the way normal families do." Caleb added.

"Okay but how is it related to what happened to Paige's parents?" Spencer asked, confused.

"We think the people who drove my family out of Rosewood are the same ones who caused the accident." Dani answered. "Paige came to me after she left Rosewood and said she thinks the accident was no accident and that she needed my help to find out what really happened. Our families were really close and we have this theory that my dad said something to Paige's. Something he discovered about the DiLaurentis family."

"And you guys think the day of the accident Paige's father was about to reveal it." Aria chimed in.

Caleb and Dani looked at each other before answering. "Paige said that the day of the accident when her parents ran into Emily, they asked if their daughter was with her and that they looked really worried, almost panicking. We still don't know for sure but that's one of our hunches." Caleb explained.

"But you still have no idea who these people are." Hanna concluded.

"No. We don't. We're still trying to figure it out. That and the why part. Following leads when Dani and I have no excuse to be seen together was hard so we thought if we pretended we were hooking up behind your back 'A' would just use it as a secret against us. And the people here in Rosewood are anything but indiscreet so we knew for certain we could count on them turning a blind eye if they saw us together." Caleb said. "I'm so sorry Hanna."

"Well why didn't you just tell us in the first place that you were stepsiblings?" Hanna asked Caleb, hurt.

"Because if I told you that Dani is my stepsister the conversation would have found its way eventually to the fact that I have been helping them ever since Paige left Rosewood. And would you keep something like that from Emily? We all wanted to keep Emily safe, Han. Paige made me promise that I would look out for Emily while she was gone. You saw how she was when Paige left her. If she knew I know where they are she would never stop asking me until I tell her." Caleb explained gently. "Also, if Emily knew where Paige was and she decided to follow them, then 'A' would definitely know what Paige and Dani are up to. I can't place their lives in danger."

"Well you guys underestimated 'A' if you thought they didn't know what Paige and Dani were up to because 'A' has been following them ever since Paige left." Spencer said.

"Yeah that was a mistake on our part." Caleb admitted.

"That's not the only mistake." Hanna said.

"What do you mean?" Dani asked, curious.

Hanna showed them her phone. While they were talking she got another message from 'A'. In it was a photo of them just now talking in Spencer's living room, the message below making them realize that their charade was over before it even began.

**You put on such a good show out there today but don't think you have me fooled. I see everything. – A**

* * *

Emily settled at the back of the room and watched as Paige nervously made her way to the front. For some reason she felt anxious. Paige told her it was time for Emily to understand that she was never to blame for what happened that night. Ever since the accident Paige shut her out whenever she tried to talk to her about what happened and that frustrated her. But today Paige was willing to talk about it so that Emily will finally forgive herself.

Paige took a deep breath, willing herself to stop fidgeting. _You can do this_. She thought. She looked at Emily, who nodded at her in encouragement. _For Emily_. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Hi. My name is Paige." She cleared her throat and raised her voice to be heard. "It's been more than two years since I started attending these support group meetings. Not really saying anything. But today that's about to change."

She looked at Emily and continued. "This morning, for the first time since I came back, I, uh, went to the place where everything started and I ran into the least person I expected. Someone who was with me the night my parents died. My, uh, ex-girlfriend."

She chuckles dryly, staring at her hands. "_God_ that sounds weird to say." She looks at Emily again. "Probably because I never thought she'd be an ex." She smiles sadly. "I always thought we would end up together." She said, swallowing hard. "But, uh, things happened and the next thing we know, here we are, two years later, trying to figure out where we stand. I don't even know where to begin. I, uh, guess for the most part I just wanted her to finally forgive herself for what happened because I never blamed her. I just couldn't stand the person I became since that night. I was mad at myself, never at her. I, uh, never told this to anyone but I figured I needed to say it in a place where I felt safe."

"_I love Emily_." She said fervently. "That's something I am certain of. But just how much and what I was willing to become for that love, I never realized until that night. That moment when life forces you to choose." She looked down on the ground. "I have these, uh, recurring dreams. More like nightmares actually. I was back in the car, my dad behind the wheel, my mom telling him to drive slower. Emily was beside me, watching me worriedly. We were on our way to the hospital. The next thing I know I was screaming for my dad to watch out and then we went over the cliff and everything was happening in slow motion." She swallowed hard, the pain of having to recall these things evident in her voice.

"I struggled to get up, forced my body to move when I saw Emily was about to go through the front end of the car. I moved just in time to absorb most of the impact. I knew from the excruciating pain that I broke something. Emily was screaming, I was disoriented." She closed her eyes, refusing to look up, not wanting to see Emily's face as she finally bared her soul and showed Emily the monster that she was. "Later at the hospital I was told that my dad died on impact. My mom, I had to take her off life support when I was well enough to stand. For years no one understood why I was so furious. I didn't want anyone to know why. But seeing Emily today at the marina, I realized she had to know."

She finally willed herself to look at Emily. "Ever since that night I was haunted. The realization that no matter how I try to deny it, convince myself that I would do things differently if I had the chance, I wouldn't. Every night I am reminded that I would always choose to save Emily. _Always_." She felt ashamed again and looked down, avoiding Emily's intense gaze. "My parents died in that car crash and all the while I was facing Emily. Holding her in my arms. I lost consciousness and my last thought was _'Thank God Emily is safe and alive'_. They died and my back was turned to them. What kind of a child does that? What kind of person does that make me?" She whispered in agony.

"That's why I decided to leave her. I thought by doing so, by finding out what really happened that night, I could convince myself that there was a moment in all of this madness that I chose my parents instead of Emily. But it wasn't that easy. Because how do you forgive yourself for something like that? How do you reconcile with yourself the reality that given a choice, if the universe forced you to choose, if you had no control over the circumstances, that your instinct would make you save your girlfriend and not your parents? _Always_. I felt like a monster. I still do. I feel as if I have this horrible thing inside of me for having to convince myself every day that I regret my decision but the truth is I'm glad Emily didn't die. Even if it meant my parents are dead, I am glad Emily is alive. I would rather mourn their deaths for the rest of my life than live in a world without Emily. I am furious at the universe for putting me in such a predicament. For forcing me to choose. For making me see the monster I was capable of becoming. I am mad at myself for my instinct to save Emily and let my parents die and the knowledge that if I was put in the same situation I would choose her again. That I would do things exactly the same. And until I can find a way to deal with that, I just can't. I can't be with Emily."

When she forced herself to look up, Emily was gone.

* * *

"So now that the secret was never a secret in the first place, will you guys finally let us help? This is our mess too. Ali was our friend. And if all of this is happening again because of Ali, we deserve to know." Hanna said with conviction.

The stepsiblings looked at each other for a while and then nodded at the girls. "We'll tell you what we can." Dani said as Caleb stood up to go outside and check for any signs of someone watching them.

"Fine. Let's start with how you know about 'A'." Spencer pointedly asked Dani.

Dani sighed. "I don't know the exact details. My parents never disclosed anything to me. What I do know I merely learned by listening in on their conversations when we were still living here." She began. "When Ali's body was discovered, my dad was one of the forensic analysts in the crime lab who handled the evidences. Among those was a blood sample found on Ali's body. He tested it for DNA and found something odd. He said the alleles between the DNA of the sample found and Ali's DNA matched but it wasn't Ali's blood."

"So whoever killed Ali was related to her?" Spencer asked, overwhelmed.

"Maybe. Or maybe she was with someone related to her before she was killed. I don't know for sure." Dani continued. "My dad never found out. All he knows is that the blood belonged to a female, which was odd because as far as I knew, the only woman in that family is her mom, and the blood type doesn't match hers. He was close friends with the DiLaurentises and he figured he'd come to them first as a friend. He brought the results of the test with him and asked them if they knew anything about it. They said they didn't but my dad wasn't convinced. He told them to tell him the truth and come forward if they know who did it but they pleaded with him. Said that what happened was merely an accident. My dad told them that it became murder once Ali's killer buried her body. But they asked him to turn a blind eye just this once because they just lost a child, they couldn't bear the thought of losing another one. So my dad gave them the report and decided to keep the matter quiet."

"What do you mean they couldn't lose another child? The only other child they have is Jason and he's no female." Hanna said, confused.

"Wait, you guys, do you remember that one time Ali said she always thought having an older sister would be cool because they could do things together like shop and stare at boys and share secrets but that she didn't think it would be disgusting?" Aria said, trying to jog their memories.

"When did she say that?" Dani asked, intrigued.

"Uh, I think it was a few months before she disappeared. I remember Hanna even asked if Jason was by any chance gay because he's the only older sibling Ali has." Spencer said.

"Yeah. I remember that day. I remember asking her that and she said she wished that was the case because that was something she could get used to. When we tried asking her what she meant then, she just changed the subject and asked if we knew how much it would cost to make a collect call to France." Hanna offered, finally remembering that day.

"She made calls to France? Do you think this sister of hers lived there?" Dani inquired.

"She didn't say. She just said she planned on calling someone she hoped would be an ally." Aria said. "Why?"

"Because on one of our trips, we followed Ali's trail to the Hamptons. When we searched the place she stayed at while she was there, we found a phone she kept hidden and there were several calls made to a number in France. We tried to trace it but it has been disconnected." Dani revealed.

"Which meant whoever it was she planned on calling she was actually able to talk to several times." Spencer realized.

Dani nodded. "Unfortunately that trail went cold. But because of what you just said it doesn't seem like this person from France killed her. You said she thought this person could be an ally. That meant she was already in trouble and needed this person's help."

Spencer nodded thoughtfully. "It's possible Ali's killer _is_ 'A'. If your dad's secret was uncovered by 'A', that meant he must have done something that threatened to expose who this person is." Spencer concluded.

Dani nodded. "He couldn't take it anymore. The guilt of keeping something like that, of protecting Ali's killer by withholding crucial evidence, kept him up most nights. What he didn't tell Ali's parents was that what he gave them was merely a copy of the report. The original was still with him. One day he called them and said he couldn't take it anymore. Justice had to be served. He was coming forward." Dani swallowed, nervous. "Before he could, I don't know how, but his secret was leaked, discrediting him immediately as a reliable source. We don't know how 'A' found out since it was a sealed file. It happened even before my dad married my mom. He changed his last name in an attempt to start over. But just like that 'A' used it to ruin him. He can't accuse the DiLaurentises and say they were behind what happened because he doesn't have any proof but he had a hunch that whoever did it was connected to them."

"So it was true? About your dad?" Hanna asked cautiously, knowing the issue was a sensitive matter.

Dani nodded again. "When his past became known to the residents of Rosewood he was left with no choice but to tell us the truth. He was assigned to the case of the lonely hearts serial killer in Montana. He botched a sample he was testing, contaminated the evidence so when he testified in court the suspect was released. Seven murders later he was finally convicted. But my dad never lived down the humiliation. People started calling him as the "Lonely Hearts Savior" and the families of those victims blamed him. He couldn't find a job anywhere else so he decided to change his last name, moved to Rosewood, married my mom, and got another shot as a forensic analyst. Until 'A' revealed his secret and the authorities of this town had to do damage control. The DiLaurentises came back to town briefly and turned against him, made a big fuss and told the cops that a person like my father wasn't fit to handle evidence in their daughter's murder because he botched an investigation once, what's to say he won't do it again, or already did? The authorities fired my dad and people started treating me differently. When my parents noticed how much the scandal was affecting my life here in Rosewood, they decided it was time to leave."

"But how did you know about 'A'?" Hanna asked, confused.

"Before we left, the day we were about to leave, I got a text. It said '_Consider this a warning and know that I hate loose ends_'. The message was signed by 'A'." Dani said. "That's when I knew that whoever killed Ali was capable of doing much worse things."

"Did you ever see this file?" Aria asked urgently.

Dani shook her head. "No. I tried looking but I never found it. It wasn't until Paige showed up at my doorstep saying her parents are dead and she needed my help that I realized where it was all along. I think Paige's father had it."

* * *

_"Bridesmaids, Fired Up! and Eurotrip? Wow. Someone needs a massive dose of comedy in her life. You depressed or something?" A saccharine voice asked beside her, startling her. Emily turned to look at the person standing next to her. The girl was almost as tall as her with shoulder-length brown hair and a toothy grin._

_"Sort of." Emily replied, not wanting to be rude. "Movie night with my girlfriend." She said before turning her attention back to the stand in front of her that held other comedy movies._

_"And you're going for comedy instead of romance? That doesn't sound encouraging." The girl said, trying to make conversation._

_"We're not really in the mood to watch romantic movies lately." She said, not looking at the girl._

_"I can see that. You're like, hoarding the movies I rent when I feel like killing myself." The girl laughed, not knowing she struck a chord. "I'm Tara. I'm new around here." The girl said, extending her hand._

_Emily stiffened and turned to her. "I really have to get going. Welcome to Rosewood." Emily said, ignoring the girl's outstretched hand and walking past her towards the checkout counter to pay for the DVDs._

_"I didn't catch your name." Tara said after her._

_"I didn't give it." Emily said curtly before walking out the door._

_**88888**  
_

_"You sail?" Someone asked Emily, distracting her from her thoughts. She was standing at their spot at the marina, facing the open waters, trying to get a moment of peace. Turning around, she saw that the question came from a girl she recognized but couldn't remember._

_"Not really. My girlfriend used to. I just came along." Emily said, turning around to face the water again._

_"Used to? What she got bored or something?" The girl asked again, moving to stand beside Emily._

_"Her boat was set on fire a few months ago. Kinda hard to sail without a boat don't you think?" Emily said, not bothering to look at the girl who she was now irritated at for ruining her moment of peace._

_"Well in that case, if you want you guys can borrow mine. I rarely use it anyway. It's the one right over there." Tara pointed to a certain boat moored at the docks but Emily wasn't interested. "She's a beauty. I call her The Temptress. I have a feeling you guys could use the fresh air. Just by looking at you I'm guessing the comedy movie night didn't do wonders for your relationship." The girl said._

_Emily looked at her curiously. __**Who is this girl?**__ "And… I can see you have no idea who I am. I'm Tara? We met at the rental shop? Bridesmaids, Fired Up!, Eurotrip?" Tara said, trying to jog Emily's memory._

_Recognition finally dawned on Emily. "Oh. Right. Of course. You're new around town."_

_"Kinda new. I've been here for a few weeks now. I have to say, I think I like what this quaint little town of yours has to offer so far." Tara said in a way that made Emily feel she was talking about her and not the sights around the town._

_"So… you said your girlfriend's boat was set on fire? Was it an insurance scam or something?" Tara asked, trying to make conversation._

_"Why would you think that? That's horrible." Emily said, offended. "No. It wasn't set on fire by my girlfriend. She was actually inside, unconscious when the boat was set on fire." Emily finally said, finding it refreshing to talk to someone who wasn't in Rosewood when the tragedy happened._

_"Now __**that's**__ horrible. But she survived, right? I mean if you two are watching comedy movies that must mean she survived. Unless you're like, a ghost whisperer or something." Tara said._

_"She survived but it was never the same." Emily admitted. "We, me and her parents, got there just in time. We were on our way to the hospital to have her checked out but before we got there we got into this car accident. Her parents died and she barely survived." Emily continued, grateful to have someone to talk to other than her friends._

_"And ever since then she has been distant." Tara finished. "Where is she now?"_

_Emily looked at the water again. "Radnor. Attending a support group for people with MDD. I get to see her this weekend though which is good because I really want to be there for her." Emily said._

_"Oh." Tara said in a tone that made Emily look at her again._

_"What do you mean by that?" Emily asked._

_"Nothing. I just... I thought for a second there you were going to say you can't wait to see her because you miss her and love her." Tara said carefully, not wanting to offend her._

_"I think that's a given." Emily said defensively._

_"You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it." Tara apologized. "So, does she talk about it? The accident?" Tara asked, trying to change the subject a little._

_"Not really. She said she barely remembered anything before that day. The only thing she remembered was when she woke up in the car moments before the accident. Everything else she doesn't remember." Emily admitted._

_Tara nodded. "Repressed memories. Do you want her to remember?" Tara asked curiously._

_"I don't know." Emily said, confused. "I feel like if she remembered then maybe she would have an easier time accepting that it was an accident, nothing more. But if something else happened, something more horrible, it could make her even more self-destructive." Emily said, trying to understand her own feelings. "She was missing that day and we found her inside the boat. I don't know if it's better if she remembered why she went missing or not."_

_"In my opinion, I think it's better if she didn't remember." Tara said, making Emily look at her questioningly. "I've been there." She explained. "I have a sister. She had the perfect life before she found out something she didn't want to and it changed everything." Tara said quietly._

_"What happened?" Emily asked, noting the sadness in Tara's voice._

_Tara shook her head. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry but it's not my secret to share." Tara said. "But that's just my opinion. I don't know the first thing about your girlfriend anyway right?" Emily just nodded. "Listen, I have to go. I kind of have to be somewhere and now I'm running late." Tara said suddenly._

_"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take up your time." Emily said apologetically._

_"Oh, don't worry. It's totally cool." Tara said, waving her hand dismissively before lowering her voice to whisper conspiratorially. "I'm trying to put off going to the dentist so I actually owe you one." She said, making Emily smile._

_"Wow, you're even more beautiful when you smile." She said, talking in her normal voice again and then shrugged. "I just saw you and you looked so sad so I came over. I recognized you as the girl from the rental store." Tara smiled her toothy grin again. "I'll see you around then." She said as she turned to walk towards the row of cars in the distance._

_"Emily." Emily shouted after her. Tara turned to look at her, confused. "I'm Emily." Emily called after Tara before giving her a wave._

_"Well I look forward to seeing you around town. Emily." Tara smiled again and ran towards her car._

_**88888**  
_

_"You look like you're about to hurl." Tara said behind Emily, startling her._

_"You really need to start wearing a bell around your neck or something. You scared me half to death just now." Emily said, laughing nervously as she looked at Tara._

_"I'm kinda sneaky that way." Tara said, winking at her and smiling proudly. "I didn't mean to startle you. You just seemed like you're about to get sick. Something bothering you?" She asked as she stood beside Emily at the spot in front of the marina she usually found the raven-haired girl._

_"It's nothing really. Just passing the time until I have to pick up Paige from Radnor." Emily said, obviously distracted._

_"So the prodigal girlfriend finally returns home today. She's going to stay for good?" Tara asked._

_"Yeah. At least I hope so." Emily said nervously._

_"Not to state the obvious then but shouldn't you be ecstatic that your girlfriend is coming home? Why are you so nervous?" Tara asked carefully._

_"I __**am**__ ecstatic. I just... I kind of got used to not seeing her on a daily basis. Like we were on some sort of schedule and for the rest of the week I can focus on me because I know she's somewhere out there getting better. That even if I wasn't around I know she's going to be safe because she's getting the help she needs." Emily confessed, feeling horrible._

_"But now that she's coming back you think you have to take on the role of being the perfect girlfriend again." Tara said cautiously. She continued when Emily didn't say anything. "I knew you were the perfect girlfriend because I asked around town. You two were quite the couple before the accident weren't you? The people I talked to couldn't stop gushing about how perfect you two are for each other."_

_"The people in this town put us on a pedestal. We weren't the perfect couple. They just had this vision of us in their heads and before I knew it I fit the part perfectly. But not Paige. She didn't care what the people of this town thought of us. She never gave in to the pressure." Emily said sadly._

_Tara nodded slowly in understanding. "It was easier for Paige to get down from that pedestal because she was never on it in the first place. Unlike you. And now you can't seem to find a way to get down. When Paige went away, you were briefly released from that role of being the perfect girlfriend and it made you feel relieved."_

_"I'm such a horrible person." Emily whispered shakily, closing her eyes._

_"No. You're not." Tara said firmly. "You're just human. And right now you're anxious about her coming home because you got so used to seeing her rarely these past few months but now you have to get used to seeing her every day again. And unlike before, you have no excuse not to because she's not in Radnor anymore, she's in Rosewood again." Tara said, putting into words the feelings Emily were too scared to say._

_"I don't deserve her." Emily said, pained._

_"Hey." Tara said softly, turning to face Emily and touching her shoulder lightly. "Look at me." She said gently. Emily finally opened her eyes and looked at Tara. "There's no judgment here okay? I'm just here to listen." Tara said reassuringly._

_Emily sighed. "I'm just tired of being known as Paige's supportive, perfect girlfriend when the truth is I'm anything but. The people in this town expect me to be this perfect girl, like if I do one wrong thing I would become less of a good person." Emily confessed._

_"Well right now it's just the two of us here. I've never met you before so I have no idea who this supportive, perfect girlfriend is. All I can see is the Emily who is scared to admit the truth." Tara said._

_"What truth is that?" Emily asked, curious._

_"This." Tara said before bringing her lips to Emily's, surprising her. The kiss was gentle yet firm. The feel of Tara's lips on hers was foreign. It's been a while since someone kissed her. Since she felt wanted. And for a second she let herself be kissed by the girl standing in front of her, closing her eyes._

_**Paige**__. Emily's eyes snapped open, pulling away abruptly from Tara. She fiercely wiped the sensation of Tara's lips on hers, tears stinging her eyes. "What are you doing?!" Emily asked, furious. At Tara. At herself._

_"Trying to show you that your feelings have changed." Tara said calmly._

_"No they haven't! I love Paige!" Emily said vehemently, tears streaming down her cheeks._

_"I didn't say you didn't. But there's a difference between loving someone and being in love with them. Otherwise you wouldn't be this conflicted about Paige coming back in your life like some constant thing. It wouldn't terrify you." Tara said intensely._

_**Constant**__. Emily thought. __**I'm Paige's constant**__. The tears now flowed freely from Emily's eyes, her hand angrily wiping her mouth again. A memory comes to her unbidden, __**"No matter what happens, YOU are my constant."**__ Paige said to her, smiling widely, earnestly. She backed away from Tara and ran towards her car. __**Paige. I'm so sorry.**_

_**88888**  
_

_In Emily's haste to get home and start packing after meeting Paige at the marina just moments ago, she accidentally bumped into someone. Hard. "Whoa! Slow down tiger! You almost tore off my arm. Where's the fire?" Emily stiffened and goose bumps started to form on her arms when Tara's hand touched her shoulder lightly._

_"Please don't touch me." Emily whispered urgently, looking around nervously to see if people were staring at them. She's Paige's girlfriend and Tara was standing too close._

_Tara immediately did what Emily asked of her and stepped back as well. "Sorry. It's just that you almost tore off my arm when you whizzed past me just now. Where are you going in such a hurry?" She asked gently._

_"Home. I need to pack." Emily answered as she turned her back to Tara. She was about to break into a run when Tara asked her another question._

_"Where are you headed?" Tara asked curiously._

_Emily faced her again and shrugged. "We don't know yet. But Paige and I are leaving tomorrow night."_

_"The perfect girlfriend eloping with the prodigal girlfriend. Sounds romantic." Tara said wryly. "Did you tell her?" She asked in a low voice._

_Emily shot Tara a warning look. "Please don't ruin this for me. I can't lose her." She begged, terrified._

_"Hey. Not my business if you want to keep lying to her." Tara said, briefly raising her arms in front of her defensively. "But Emily, you and I both know you're far from the perfect girlfriend you insist on playing and sooner or later you'll tell her about that kiss yourself. When that happens and she can't find a way to forgive you, you know where to find me." Tara said sincerely before turning her back to Emily and walking in the opposite direction._

_**88888**  
_

_"Emily, the new hire's here. I need you to show her the ropes." Kevin said to her before disappearing to the back room. Emily turned around and saw Tara, smiling at her._

_"What are you doing here?" Emily asked nervously._

_"I'm the new hire. Show me the ropes." Tara said in a voice that sounded like it was __**that**__ obvious._

_"No you're not." Emily said, in denial. "Are you following me or something?" Emily whispered urgently._

_"Whoa. Relax. I'm not following you. Though it __**would**__ be nice if you did return one of my calls. But no. I'm not following you." Tara said. "I'm here to work. I used to be a barista."_

_Emily still looked wary so Tara continued. "Listen. I'm not here to cause trouble okay? I just really need this job. If I wanted to ruin your life I would have rushed to Paige the moment she came back and told her about what happened. But I promise I will not breathe a word of that incident to anyone. You can trust me. Scout's honor." She said. "Besides, Paige isn't even around anymore. There's no need to actively avoid me."_

_"I'm not avoiding you." Emily said defensively. "Fine." She continued after a beat. "As long as the only reason you came to work here is because you said you were a barista. No other reason."_

_"No other reason." Tara said, smiling her toothy grin again._

* * *

"I thought you left." Paige's voice startled Emily. She hastily wiped the tears from her eyes before facing her. "No. I just… I had to get some air." She admitted. "I… I needed a moment."

Paige took this as a sign that Emily saw her the way she saw herself. "I'm disgusting aren't I?" Paige asked Emily resignedly. "I probably lost you forever because of what I said in there. I mean, how could you be with someone who was so selfish even her instinct made her save her girlfriend and not her parents?" She asked dejectedly.

Emily shook her head vehemently, her heart breaking for the girl standing in front of her. All this time, Paige was feeling this self-hatred and she was so focused on her own pain, she didn't see it. Paige looked so tired and broken and Emily finally understood a little why she let the darkness consume her, why she was so full of rage all this time. She had to make Paige understand. "No, I'm not disgusted with you Paige. I will _never_ be disgusted with you." She said earnestly. "But, _why_ did you tell me? If it meant you could lose me forever why did you tell me anyway?" She asked nervously.

"Well for one, at some point you have to stop blaming yourself for the accident when it was never your fault." Paige began. "You said my parents were looking for me. Whether you asked them to take you to the marina or not, I think they would have gone there to look for me at some point." She explained.

"Maybe so. But if they went there without me and the accident still happened, then maybe we wouldn't be standing here right now because you won't have to regret the mistake of saving me." Emily said softly.

"Weren't you listening? Saving you was never a mistake Em." Paige said firmly. "It will _never_ be a mistake. I'm just mad because I was forced to choose. But I'm not mad at the choice I made. I'm mad because my choice caused the death of my parents." Paige tried to explain.

"You're human Paige. You don't have superpowers. There's nothing you could have done to save them. They were on the front end of the car. The impact of the crash killed them. Not your inability to be fast enough." Emily said gently. "The only reason we are even alive is because you somehow found the strength to protect both of us." She walked closer to Paige. "You _saved_ my life that night. I am here because you risked your life for me again. How could I ever think you are a monster, or that you are disgusting?" She asked, desperate to make Paige see the one spot of light in the darkness that consumed her.

She continued, trying to make Paige understand. "And don't think we came out of that accident scot-free. You barely survived the accident Paige. And I may not have sustained serious injuries like yours but holding your hand while you flat-lined several times was terrifying. You died on me. Thrice. I watched as you were revived 3 times on the way to the hospital. I didn't think you were going to make it. And even if it made me feel horrible as well, I'm not ashamed to admit I felt relieved that you were alive because I didn't know how I could make it without you." Emily confessed. "We both had those thoughts, _'Thank God she's alive.'_ But it doesn't mean we were relieved someone else died in our place. It doesn't make us monsters. Just human. You have to find a way to forgive yourself as well."

Emily smiled sadly. "Your parents would never love you less for being the kind of person they raised you to be. Wherever they are I know they are beaming proudly at you for becoming the kind of person they always knew you were. Someone who would put her life at risk to save the person she loves. Whether it was them or me." Emily continued emotionally. "And I will never see you as a monster when you are always risking your life for me. I think you know that. Somewhere inside that stunning yet stubborn head of yours you know that. But somehow that thought was lost in you when you let the darkness and rage consume you. When you felt you had a choice on who to save at that moment when in reality we were lucky to just be alive after that accident. Your instinct didn't tell you to save me Paige. It told you to do what you can to keep from happening to us what was about to happen to your parents."

"It doesn't change the fact that they're dead does it?" Paige said, still refusing to forgive herself.

Emily studied Paige for a second and suddenly realized the reason Paige refused to be with her. "It's not just that being around me reminds you of that day isn't it?" Emily said sadly, finally understanding that it wasn't just because Paige refused to forgive herself. Nor was it just because she refused to understand that there was nothing she could have done to save her parents. "You think because you survived, the least you could do is not live the rest of your life being happy. You think this is your punishment." Emily said, realization dawning on her.

"I don't get to survive something like that and live the rest of my life being happy with you. I don't deserve that." Paige said dejectedly.

For the first time since Paige came back, Emily finally accepted Paige's decision to just be friends. The night she agreed to try, she did it reluctantly because she thought it was better than nothing. But today, she finally understood what Paige meant when she said that she can't give what Emily needed nor become the person Emily needed her to be. Not right now. She smiled sadly, resigned. "I'm sorry for not listening to what you were trying to say all along. But I'm listening now." Emily tried to hide the pain in her voice. "Unless you find a way to reconcile the truth that us surviving wasn't a punishment but a blessing, we can't be together."

"I'm sorry." Paige whispered sadly. "The last thing I want is to hurt you more than I already have. And I know that is exactly what I would do if I forced myself to be in a relationship with you again when the reason why I left hasn't changed even when I came back."

Emily nodded. "So what's the other reason?" She asked curiously.

"Other reason for what?" Paige asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Even if it terrified you because you said you could lose me forever you still told me why you were so full of rage all these years. What was the other reason?" Emily asked again.

"Oh." Paige took a deep breath before answering. "Because even if it meant losing you? I will always choose to surrender to what we have. Whether we are together or not. I would rather tell you the truth even if it was ugly, even if it came too late because while there is a big chance that you could walk away from me, you have proven countless times that with us there will always be that small possibility that you would stick around and no matter what, I will always choose to gamble on that small chance." Paige said earnestly.

For a moment, Emily just stared at Paige in awe, the girl's words taking her breath away. She forgot this side of Paige. The side that always found a way for Emily to fall more in love with her. She didn't see it before. Didn't understand when Aria told her to do it. But now she realized for the first time that Paige has always surrendered to her. Something she was never able to do to Paige in the entirety of their relationship. Until today. There was another reason she and Paige shouldn't get back together. At least not right now.

"I cheated on you." Emily looked Paige straight in the eye while she said the words slowly, finally taking a step towards surrendering to Paige.

* * *

"Wait, are you sure about that Dani?" Spencer asked cautiously.

By now, Caleb has made a thorough sweep around the Hastings residence and said there was no one watching them. Whoever it was that took the photo of them a while ago was gone. He sat beside Hanna to join in on the discussion.

"Pretty sure." He said, barely catching the end of the conversation. "Paige said the night before Dani's family left Rosewood, Dani's father paid Paige's parents a visit and he had with him a folder but when he left he wasn't carrying anything."

"So where's the folder now?" Hanna asked.

"That's what we're trying to find out. There are still a lot of things we need to figure out but our next step is definitely finding a way to get into Paige's old house and we need Paige's help on that." Dani said.

"Why? You don't think the report is still inside that house? I mean, the new owners would have seen it lying around and given it to the cops once they found it." Aria said.

"Unless it was hidden." Spencer answered for Caleb and Dani. "You guys think it was hidden by Paige's father."

Caleb and Dani nodded. "Something as important as that? Common sense would make you hide it." Caleb said confidently. "When I was hacking into the police reports, I stumbled upon a case that was filed regarding an attempted burglary at the McCullers residence. At first I didn't see the significance of it because the report said there was no sign of a break-in or forced entry and when the police responded to the call, everything was in order and nothing seemed to be missing." Caleb said.

"So why did we see you guys near Paige's old house?" Hanna asked, confused.

"Because the more I thought about it the more it seemed fishy." Caleb answered, looking at his girlfriend.

Dani continued filling them in. "On a hunch we decided to talk to Mr. Talbot since he was the neighbor who called the cops that night. He said he saw some movement inside the house around 10 but didn't call the cops immediately because he thought it was just the trees, reflecting its movements on the windows. He called them at around 10:30 when he noticed someone leave through the back door. He didn't see who it was or how many of them there were, just that there was a shadow. But when the cops came the door was locked and nothing seemed out of place."

"Because of the time discrepancy, the first time I read the report I thought it wasn't related. But today, we're starting to think it was. If Mr. Talbot saw movement around 10, it was around the same time Emily and Paige's parents got to the marina." Caleb said.

"Now more than ever we need Paige to remember what happened before she went missing because we're starting to think it was all an elaborate plan by 'A' to get that file." Dani added.

Spencer suddenly spoke. "I've been thinking." She began. "All this time we thought 'A' left to follow Paige but what if that wasn't the case? What if there's more than one 'A' again and they just wanted us to think we were finally safe when the reality was they were watching us the whole time?"

"How many are we talking about here?" Aria asked, nervous.

Spencer shrugged. "At least 2. I mean one left to follow Paige and Dani to see what they uncover while the other stayed behind to watch us."

"What makes you say that?" Dani asked.

"Well for one we should never underestimate the lengths people will go to, to keep a secret. As much as possible they would want to cover all bases. One of them had to follow Paige and Dani to make sure they were one step ahead. But at the same time, someone had to stay behind to watch us. Ali's friends. Ali was killed because she knew something. We got that from what Dani told us earlier. If I was 'A', I would want to know for certain if Ali told anyone else about that secret. So I would keep a very close eye on her friends." Spencer explained.

Hanna nodded. "And remember that text we got the night Paige returned?" She said. "Now that Paige and Dani are back, more secrets will come out. That means the whole time we thought we were safe, 'A' was biding their time, waiting for the right moment to cause fear in our lives again. Who knows how many secrets they managed to gather all this time? Emily's came out." She accidentally blurted out, piquing Dani's interest.

"What's Fields' secret?" She asked.

"Nothing that should concern you." Caleb said quickly. "This one's between Paige and Emily. Let it go okay?"

Dani scoffed. "Fine. Paige will tell me anyway. She _always_ tells me." She said confidently, earning several eye rolls from the girls and a resigned look from Caleb.

* * *

Paige couldn't breathe. Her mind was too busy trying to process what she just heard. _Emily did what?_

She cleared her throat. "You did what?" Her voice was so hoarse she thought someone else asked the question for her. She really needed to breathe or she might pass out. "When?" She asked, not giving Emily a chance to answer the first question. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears. "Who?" She continued to ask questions without giving Emily a chance to answer. She felt numb. _Was it right to feel numb?_ "Why?" She asked the last question, the hurt evident in her voice.

Emily looked down at her feet, wishing the earth would swallow her whole right now. She was so ashamed and she couldn't bear to see the pain Paige was in. She knew Paige was going to be so furious about her indiscretion but she will choose to believe Paige's love for her will outweigh that fury someday. She swallowed hard, trying to quell the dryness in her mouth.

"I cheated on you." She repeated. "It was the day I picked you up from Radnor. I was with Tara and I was so nervous about you coming back for good and I felt so confused because while I felt happy you were coming home a part of me got so used to not seeing you every day and that part was overwhelmed with doubts. I… I had a brief moment of doubt and then Tara kissed me and I didn't stop it at first because a part of me felt I was wanted again. But I remembered you and I pushed her away and I knew it was a mistake immediately." Emily rambled on; answering the questions Paige threw at her in one breath.

"You cheated on me… with Tara. _The girl who eventually became your girlfriend_." Paige scoffed at the irony. "Well I'm _glad_ Tara was able to help you in your brief moment of doubt Em. She took one for the team. I guess I owe her one then." Paige heard herself say bitterly. For a moment she just looked at Emily, trying to process how she felt about Emily's second indiscretion. _First with Nate. Then with Tara. Are you fucking kidding me?!_

"That's why you were late." Paige said, realization dawning on her. "That's why you were crying and seemed so upset. You were feeling guilty because before you picked me up you made a pit stop and let someone mack you first in a brief moment of doubt." Paige was trying her best to control the anger she was feeling when something Emily said made her forget her rage. _Emily had doubts_. Paige was hit with a sudden wave of sorrow. She smiled sadly. "You were so confused about me coming back." She said quietly. "You doubted me. You had a brief moment of doubt about my feelings for you because of the way I have treated you ever since the accident. You felt I didn't want you anymore."

Emily shook her head, fighting the urge to cry. "No. It's not just that. I doubted my feelings for you as well. At that time I didn't want to admit it but the truth was I started to doubt us. If there was even an 'us' at all. I felt so horrible because when you were in Radnor I felt like I could stop feeling guilty for wanting to move forward with my life. Because I knew someone else was worrying about you. It wasn't just me anymore."

"You felt relieved that I wasn't around every day. That I became someone else's problem. Someone else's responsibility. You didn't realize it but back then you started seeing me as a burden." Paige said the words she felt Emily was too scared to say. "I'm sorry the thought of me interrupted your make out session with Tara." Paige said, indifferent.

"I stopped the kiss because I realized that while I had doubts, it didn't change the truth that I still love you. That I am still in love with you. I never saw you as a burden or a responsibility Paige. I just… I felt so guilty for wanting to continue living my life when you refused to do the same with yours. When I was around you I felt like if I even thought about moving forward for a second people would start seeing me as this incredibly selfish person because I was so impatient to start living my life again. They would see it as me leaving you behind. Like I was being inconsiderate for refusing to mourn with you. But when you went to Radnor I stopped feeling that way." Emily said, trying to explain.

"It's like I have a life that is separate from us because the only time there was an 'us' was when I came to Radnor to see you. I started to feel that people weren't expecting me to be the perfect girlfriend all the time anymore because you weren't around. In their minds whenever I went to visit you in Radnor I was playing the role of the supportive, perfect girlfriend they've always thought I was. And when I was in Rosewood they just saw me as the girl who survived that horrible accident. That's why I felt so confused about your return. A part of me didn't want to let go of that feeling as selfish as it may sound. But another part of me couldn't wait to have you back in my life again. I'm so sorry Paige." She said, unable to stop the tears from falling this time.

Paige shook her head. "No! Don't be sorry!" She said forcefully. "Don't be sorry because if you've felt this way about us for years then this conversation has been long overdue." She said, realizing that there were more problems between them than just Paige's inability to forgive herself. "We're here now. Just get it out in the open." She said firmly. "Here's your chance Em."

Emily knew Paige was furious. She felt ashamed but she knew she had to tell Paige everything. "Being around Tara when things were so tense between us back then was a welcome relief. I met her at the rental store before I came over for our movie night. She just arrived in town that day and I was completely rude to her." She swallowed hard.

"I saw her again at the marina a few days before I came to Radnor to visit you. I didn't remember her at first but she introduced herself again and I found myself opening up to her. It felt _so_ easy to talk to her because she was new in Rosewood. She didn't know anything about the accident, about me or about us. I felt like I could tell her what I was feeling without the fear of being judged." She said, blinking back tears.

"Tara made me feel like I didn't have to be perfect all the time. That I am flawed. And that it was okay." Emily bit back a sob. "I'm not perfect Paige. The people in Rosewood always saw me as this perfect girlfriend it became so hard to live up to everyone's expectations. It was easy for you because you never cared what they thought. Unlike me. I felt pressured to be this perfect girlfriend for you all the time and I couldn't take it anymore."

Paige laughed cynically. "_Easy?_ Tell me the part where I had it easy Emily. You insist that they expected you to be the perfect girlfriend for me through all of this. So what's my role?"

"Paige…" Emily said apologetically through her tears, knowing what was about to come.

"Tell me." She said adamantly then continued after a beat. "You know what, I'll tell you. You think my role in all of this was to play the suffering girlfriend." Paige said stonily. "If you keep on insisting that we are playing roles in this relationship then it's not a surprise that at some point I've become a burden to you." She said quietly.

"No. I never saw you that way." Emily said vehemently. "I just didn't know what to do anymore. I wanted to support you through your grief but I wanted to move forward with my life too. When I couldn't figure out how to do both, somewhere along the way I felt the need to compromise one or the other and I felt like I was disappointing everyone." She admitted, ashamed.

Paige shook her head sadly. "_This_… _this_ is why I resented being called as the 'IT' couple of Rosewood. Because I know you. And I know that at some point the way they saw us was going to affect how you saw yourself." She swallowed the resentment she was feeling. "What I wouldn't give to take back all those horrible years Em. What I wouldn't give to take back every action I did, every hurtful word I said to you."

She spoke in a tone that was full of bitterness. "You put yourself on that pedestal and when you couldn't find a way down you blamed everyone around you." Tears fell from Paige's eyes and she furiously wiped it away. "Ever since I've known you, you were _so_ scared to commit a mistake, scared to make people see that you are flawed just like the rest of us… so much so that you worked yourself to death trying to please everyone. I never expected you to be perfect Emily. I wanted you to strive to be _better_. Because of course you're not perfect! Nobody is."

"And yet you put me on a pedestal just like the rest of them." Emily said bitterly. "More than anyone, it was the hardest living up to the version of me you have in your head."

"I never put you on any pedestal Emily. And I never lost sight of the reality that you are flawed. I just chose to see the best in you. _Time and time again_. Tell me what's so wrong with that?" Paige said in a voice that was barely audible.

"Don't you get it?" Emily asked, frustrated. "The intensity of the love you have for me is the pedestal you put me on. I gladly climbed that pedestal. And even if the version of me I saw at the top was the hardest to live up to, I refused to get down from it. Because I don't want to give up that love even if I didn't deserve it." Emily said through her sobs. "I could barely hold on when things started to get rough between us."

Paige didn't know what else to do and she somehow found herself hugging Emily despite the hurt she was feeling. "You held on for as long as you could." She whispered while running her hand through Emily's hair. "Any other person would have walked away. But you didn't. _I_ was the one who walked away, remember?" She said, suddenly exhausted.

She closed her eyes in agony, knowing that while there was no excuse for what Emily did, she was partly to blame for the reason why Emily started to doubt them. _Where do we go from here?_ "I'm sorry I took you for granted after the accident. That I made you feel like you weren't wanted, or you weren't enough. And I'm sorry that I was in so much pain and that I felt so much rage I forgot you were hurting as well." Paige said softly.

Emily shook her head against Paige's chest. "Don't apologize for grieving. I'm sorry I was so selfish and so impatient to move forward I didn't try harder to get through to you. That I didn't see the self-hatred you felt all this time." She whispered sadly. "I'm sorry I cheated on you again." She sobbed.

"There was only so much you could do Em. Trust me, if you tried any harder to get through to me, you would have gotten even more hurt." Paige assured her. She finally felt Emily's arms wrap around her waist and they held each other tightly for a moment. "Why did you tell me this now?" She asked after a while.

Emily looked at her, her eyes still glistening with tears. Paige brought her hand to Emily's cheeks and wiped it away gently. "'A' had a photo of me and Tara kissing and I didn't want you to find out that way." Emily admitted, extremely embarrassed that one of her motivations for being honest with Paige was 'A's threat but Paige nodded without saying anything.

"And I realized that you've always surrendered to me, to us, but I never did." Emily said quietly. "I didn't tell you back then because we were in such a bad place I couldn't risk it. I couldn't do it because I don't think I can take it if I lost you. I wasn't brave enough or strong enough. Until today. I decided it was time I surrendered to you."

Paige smiled quizzically. "What are you talking about Em?" She said, brushing a few strands of hair away from Emily's eyes tenderly. "You've surrendered to me too."

"When?" Emily asked, confused.

"Well I could think of a few instances. Like when you told me about kissing Nate. And when you told me about 'A'." Paige said softly. "You're brave Em. You've surrendered to me without realizing it. And you may not think you're strong enough but you survived without me these past two years. That's strength. Don't ever sell yourself short."

_Paige, please tell me you can forgive me someday_. Emily looked at Paige for a moment before stepping away from her. She brought her hands to her neck to undo the clasp of her necklace. Paige looked on as Emily removed the ring from it and took Paige's hand in hers, placing the ring on Paige's palm.

"You like Dani don't you?" Emily asked softly, not daring to look Paige in the eye knowing she was going to breakdown if she did. "I knew it the moment I saw you at the bus station." She swallowed hard, trying to stop the tears from coming. "Have you told her yet?"

"No." Paige said quietly. She knew where this was going but somehow she didn't have the courage to lie to Emily.

"You should." Emily said, a sob escaping from her lips. "You should see where things go with her. Because… I don't want you to be lonely anymore and you need someone to be there for you while you go through all of this, something I failed to do years ago." She fought to control her tears.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to be that person but Dani… she's been there for you ever since you left Rosewood and I think if you'll let her… she won't disappoint you like I did." The tears streamed down Emily's cheeks when she felt Paige's arms around her neck and she wrapped her arms around Paige's waist again.

"What about you?" Paige asked softly as tears flowed freely from her eyes.

"I don't want to be selfish anymore." Emily said between sobs. "I'm brave right? And I'm strong. So I'm surrendering." She said, swallowing hard. "When you're ready, when you've found a way to forgive me, give me back that ring." She whispered.

Paige nodded and swallowed hard before pulling away from Emily. Wiping her eyes, she looked at the ring and noticed something different about it. "This date wasn't here before. You had it inscribed? Why?" She asked.

"I'll tell you someday." Emily said, smiling sadly. "For now let's just go home." She said as she held out her hand to Paige, holding the other girl's hand firmly knowing it could possibly be the last time she held Paige's hand in hers.

* * *

Somewhere in Rosewood, a lone figure looked around cautiously before going inside a house, only to be greeted immediately by the presence of people in the living room, waiting impatiently.

"Dani and Caleb revealed their suspicions to Ali's friends. They're going to start working together now. It's going to be hard keeping an eye on all of them. But I'm up to the challenge and they think there're only two of us." The newcomer said, and then continued contemptuously. "I'm bored already. Are we ever going to leave this wretched town? We already got what we needed the night of the fire." The newcomer directed its words to one of the people seated. "If not, we need to increase the body count."

"Dani and Paige returned to Rosewood because they found something big. All this time someone was helping them and _you_ were careless not to watch Caleb." The person said disapprovingly.

"Hey I did what I could! And I made up for it didn't I? I knew the moment those two interacted in public that it was a ruse and now we know why." The newcomer said defensively.

"You need to up your game. What we got from that stupid safe was merely a copy. Again. The original is still out there. Until we find it, we will continue to watch them. Then I will decide if the body count will rise." The figure said ominously.

"Fine. But this time I don't want anyone interfering with how I decide to finish the job. Your methods were so childish that we only got two out of three. Paige was spared from the fire and then survived the accident; she doesn't get to live for the third time. You know how much I hate loose ends." The newcomer said scornfully before heading upstairs.


	6. The List

**DISCLAIMER**: _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters will never be mine. All characters in this fanfic except for maybe three belong to PLL. A few events in this fanfic were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. Since I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL, I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is all about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~To everyone who took the time to post their reviews about the story so far, THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT MY WRITING ARE SO, SO AWESOME. I am seriously overwhelmed. Again, so sorry if I only post one chapter each week since I still need to polish some of the details in every chapter I finish before posting so that the story flows well.~**

**~Don't you guys worry, this is a PAILY fanfic so they're bound to get back together eventually, but timing is everything and right now they still have a few issues to work out. I promise they'll get back together **_**way**_** before the last chapter. This story will be done a few days before 3b starts so the chapters are going to be quite lengthy. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and following it.~**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The List**

_**"A secret's worth depends on the people from whom it must be kept."**_** – Carlos Ruiz Zaf****ó****n**

"You look like crap." Dani said in greeting while she glanced briefly from her laptop as Paige entered their room.

Paige didn't have the energy to match Dani's banter and just flopped face down on the bed they shared. The drive home from Radnor with Emily was the most heartbreaking silence they ever endured. _It's over. For real._ Paige closed her eyes and fought the urge to cry. She missed Emily already.

Dani didn't seem to notice Paige's emotional turmoil as she continued to work furiously on something in her laptop when she suddenly paused and decided to look at the motionless form beside her. "Wait. Something's different with you. Are you wearing a _dress_?! Holy crap Paige that _is_ a dress! I have _never_ seen you in one before! Turn over! I wanna see!" She said teasingly while poking Paige's sides.

Paige just groaned in response, refusing to move. Dani finally stopped poking her best friend when she realized Paige had no intention of budging anytime soon.

"Where have you been anyway? I need to fill you in about what Caleb and I found out today but first I have a confession to make." Dani paused for dramatic effect. "Emily's friends know some of the things we found out. Caleb and I were busted by 'A' this morning. We were fooling ourselves into thinking we could outwit 'A' because 'A' has known all along that Caleb and I are now stepsiblings." Dani rambled. "We were caught by Emily's friends near your old house and when 'A' sent a text saying our ruse didn't work; we didn't see the need to keep them in the dark entirely. I mean, Ali _was_ their friend." Dani said, trying to make Paige understand why she and Caleb chose to let the girls in on some of the leads they have so far. "But don't worry. We didn't tell them about the footage. That's the biggest lead we have so far so I know how important it is that we don't breathe a word of that to anyone. Not until we have enough proof."

At the mention of the footage, Paige finally turned over and looked at Dani. "I'm sorry if it seemed like ever since we returned all I did was focus on Emily." She said quietly. "Starting tomorrow I'll help you and Caleb follow-up on more leads."

Dani looked at Paige worriedly. Her best friend hasn't looked this crestfallen since _that day_. "Hey P, what happened to you today?" She asked gently. "The last time you were like this was when you and I..."

"I'm going to take a shower." Paige said abruptly, getting up from the bed and heading straight for the bathroom. "I need to get out of this dress." She said without looking back at Dani before closing the door behind her.

_Oookay. I can take a hint._ Dani said to herself as she continued to look worriedly at the closed bathroom door. There was only one person who could make Paige this withdrawn. _Oh Emily. What did you do this time?_

* * *

Paige sighed as she gently closed the bathroom door behind her. Seemingly in a daze, she went through the motions of undressing and forced herself to step under the showerhead before turning the handle. She let the icy water run through her body, hoping the cold will help numb the pain she was feeling. Defeated, she slowly sank to her knees and brought one hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her uncontrollable sobs. _How many times do I have to let her go?_ Paige closed her eyes in pain. _It's been two years but it still feels like yesterday._

* * *

_Paige watched from the shadows miserably as Hanna gave Emily the letter she just wrote. Tears of regret and pain threatened to escape from her eyes as she watched Emily take the letter wordlessly and sink to her knees without reading it, her friends fighting back their tears, at a loss as to how to comfort her. She didn't know what else to do. After she told Emily last night that she could come with her, Paige decided to tell Emily's friends what she had to do and why Emily can't come. She needed their help to make sure Emily will not be alone when she realizes that Paige left without her. Paige smiled sadly as she let her tears fall. Emily is going to need them now more than ever. It took all of Paige's self-restraint to stop herself from rushing to Emily's side so that she could take the devastated girl in her arms, tell her she's sorry and that Emily can come with her. But she can't turn back now. Even if she wanted to take Emily with her she knew it wasn't right. She can't be selfish again. She won't let Emily ruin her life, her future, for someone who was so selfish she let her parents die so that the girl she loves could live. This was her punishment for surviving. __**You don't get to live and get the girl as well. You can't be that selfish**__. With one last look at Emily, Paige moved deeper into the shadows and took out her phone to make a call. She had one more stop before she left Rosewood._

_**88888**  
_

_"Thanks for meeting me here." Paige said in a low voice as she followed Caleb inside the cabin where Nate held her and Emily captive. She gently closed the door behind her and looked at Caleb nervously. "You must be wondering why I needed to see you in secret."_

_"Actually I was wondering why you wanted to come back to this place." Caleb said, amused. "If you wanted to meet in secret there are other places around Rosewood I could have suggested that hold no bad memories for both of us."_

_"That's why no one would think we would come back here." Paige said wryly._

_Caleb nodded. "Well when you put it that way..."_

_They looked at each other in silence for a while before Caleb spoke again._

_"So. What's going on?" Caleb asked, suddenly serious._

_"I'm leaving Rosewood tonight." Paige began. "And I need to know where Dani is." She said cautiously._

_"Who's Dani?" Caleb asked, trying to look bewildered._

_On any other day, Paige would find Caleb's inability to pretend he didn't know what Paige was talking about hilarious. But not today._

_"Dani is my best friend and she also happens to be your stepsister. I need her help." Paige said seriously. "Please tell me where she is."_

_"How did you know?" Caleb asked, surprised._

_"She told me." Paige said as she showed Caleb the letter Dani wrote to her a few years ago. "She really likes you." She added._

_Caleb nodded. "I like her too. She's cool. That's why I can't tell you. It's too dangerous. I can't risk it. I'm sorry." He said apologetically._

_"I get it." Paige said quietly. "You don't want anything to happen to anyone in your family again. But while your mom survived the accident 'A' caused, my parents didn't. So please tell me because I need to find the people who did this." She pleaded. "I care about Dani, Caleb. She's like the sister I never had. I will never let anything happen to her."_

_Caleb's brow furrowed. "Wait, what are you trying to say? Do you think your parents were killed by 'A'? Why?" Caleb asked, suddenly concerned._

_"I'm not sure yet. It's just a hunch." Paige admitted. "But I was missing that day so I know there was more to the events that happened that night and the least I could do for my parents is find out the truth."_

_Caleb looked at Paige for a moment before taking out a piece of paper from the back pocket of his jeans. "Pen." He said while holding out his hand to Paige. Paige immediately handed him one and Caleb began writing something on the paper. "Memorize the address I wrote here and then burn this piece of paper." Caleb said as he handed it to Paige. "Promise me you'll keep Dani safe." He said before releasing his grip on the paper and pen._

_Paige nodded. "I will." She promised. "Thanks." She said when Caleb finally relaxed his grip._

_"And here." Caleb said as he reached into his jacket pocket to take out a phone. "This is a burner phone. Use it once then dispose it. That way 'A' won't be able to follow you. I can tell Dani you're coming if you want me to."_

_Paige shook her head as she took the phone from Caleb. "No. I think it's better if she doesn't know. I mean, do you usually tell her beforehand that you're coming over to visit her?" Paige asked._

_"I don't." Caleb said. "That's because I haven't seen her in years. I met her once but that was it. Since then we just communicate through burner phones. We don't even trust e-mails as a mode of communication."_

_"So if I decide to tell her beforehand I need to use this phone right now to call her." Paige said. She thought for a minute and then shook her head. "I'd like to have this phone handy in case something goes wrong."_

_Caleb nodded. "Okay. Well then good luck." He said before moving towards the door._

_"Caleb wait." Paige said, turning towards him. "I know this is asking too much but I need another favor." She took a deep breath. "I need you to look after Emily until she finds someone. Aria has Ezra, Spencer has Wren and Hanna has you. I just… I need to know she's going to be safe." Paige pleaded._

_Caleb nodded. "You don't have to ask. I promise I'll look after her __**until you come back**__." Caleb said seriously. "Because you __**will**__ come back Paige. You have to. So I'll keep other girls away in the meantime." He added, trying to lighten the mood._

_Paige shook her head. "Please don't do that." She said softly. "I don't want her to be alone. I don't know when I'll come back or if I ever will. So don't do that. I want her to be happy again and loved. More than anything."_

_Caleb nodded his head once. "I'll keep her safe. Don't worry." He assured her._

_"Thanks." Paige said as she pocketed the phone._

_"And I'll do what I can to help you guys from here. Whatever you need just ask and I'll see what I can do." Caleb says earnestly before leaving._

_**88888**  
_

_"So will you help me?" Paige asked Dani apprehensively as they sat facing each other in Dani's living room. The 8-hour bus ride she took to get to Dani should have made her feel tired and sluggish when she arrived, considering she didn't sleep a wink the entire trip, fearing her nightmares would startle the other passengers, but her desire to get to the bottom of things as soon as possible overpowered her fatigue._

_Wordlessly, Dani stood up and went to her room, returning to Paige's side moments later with her laptop. "Where do we start?" Dani asked her best friend, which earned her a grateful but faint smile from Paige._

_"Uh… can you hack into autopsy reports and stuff?" Paige asked uncertainly._

_"Yeah but… whose reports do you want me to find?" Dani asked, confused._

_Paige shrugged. "Ali's?" She said hesitantly._

_Dani scratched her head. "There's a file of that in Rosewood. Let's put that under the list of things Caleb can get for us."_

_"Well then let's make a list of things we need to start this investigation." Paige said, the wheels in her mind suddenly turning. "Like… footage of the fire at the marina."_

_"Caleb." Dani said, typing on her laptop. "Next."_

_"Uh… okay since this thing could be related to Ali's murder let's find everything we can on every member of Ali's family." Paige suggested._

_"Okay Caleb and I can both do that." Dani said, nodding. "What else?"_

_"Well the only other thing I can think of is retracing Ali's steps but not just on the day she went missing. More like, a few months back." Paige said uncertainly. "I don't think the answer lies on the day she went missing but on the days leading up to it."_

_"Okay well Caleb can find that out from Ali's friends. He'll find a discreet way to ask them." Dani said, looking at Paige thoughtfully._

_"He doesn't have to find out everything Ali did. Just one or two things could help us. Once we're on Ali's trail I'm sure we'll find out the rest." Paige said, not wanting to involve Emily and her friends._

_Dani nodded. "Okay. I'll call Caleb and tell him." She paused and looked at Paige before asking her next question. "Paige… where's Emily?"_

_Paige stiffened at the mention of Emily's name. She didn't really want to talk about her. She cleared her throat. "You two never really got along so she stayed behind." She said, looking everywhere but at Dani._

_"You mean you __**left**__ her behind." Dani said. "Paige that girl is so in love with you I don't think the thought of seeing me again would have stopped her from coming with you."_

_"Just drop it Dani. Please." Paige said in a tone that made Dani realize there's something Paige wasn't telling her._

_"I'll call Caleb right now and let him know what we need. Then I'll start looking into the DiLaurentis family." Dani said as she stood up and made her way to her room again._

_"I'm sorry." Paige called after her, rubbing the sides of her forehead. "I just…"_

_"I know." Dani said, looking at Paige. "I get it. You don't have to apologize. I shouldn't have asked."_

_"I'll tell you some other time." Paige said, suddenly feeling tired._

_"You need to get some sleep P. You can take the guestroom. And if you want to take a shower I think there's still some hot water left." Dani offered, noticing that Paige was trying hard not to show how worn-out she is. "We don't have anything to go on with anyway. Not until Caleb and I find something." She added. "Seriously. You need to rest for a bit."_

_Paige nodded. "You don't know how much this means to me Dani. Thanks. For everything." She said as she stood up and headed towards the guestroom._

_**88888**  
_

_The first week of their investigation yielded no new leads. Ali's autopsy report didn't shed much light into what they already know about how Ali was killed and there was no mention of the evidence tested by Dani's father. This frustrated Paige because she had a strong feeling that the results of that test will lead them to Ali's killer and possibly her parents'. Caleb and Dani's initial investigation into the DiLaurentis family also yielded no new information other than the fact that as everyone knew by now, Jason is Ali's half-brother. Dani noticed that Paige always wakes up in the middle of the night trashing around. Her best friend was having recurring nightmares but she refused to talk about it, insisting she has it under control. But Dani knew better. Paige was getting more and more restless and she was trying hard to control her rage. Dani called Caleb and said he needed to find something, anything, about Ali's whereabouts before she died. And soon._

_**88888**  
_

_"I'm headed to Radnor." Paige said to Dani as she moved towards the front door. "I'll be back tomorrow."_

_"What's in Radnor?" Dani asked, confused._

_"Support group for people with MDD." Paige said nonchalantly as she reached for the doorknob._

_"Whoa!" Dani moved so fast Paige thought she appeared out of nowhere. "You didn't mention things got so bad you started attending a support group for your depression." Dani said, standing between the door and Paige, concern evident in her voice._

_"Dani." Paige sighed. "I'm better now. I just need to go there whenever I start to feel... out of control." Paige said quietly._

_"Paige we're getting somewhere. I know it's frustrating that the progress is slow but we're getting somewhere." Dani said, knowing their lack of progress was what was causing her best friend to be this tense._

_"I just really need to go there." Paige said softly, not looking at Dani._

_Dani sighed and moved out of the way. "We are not done talking about this. You have a burner phone with you right?" She asked as Paige went out the door._

_"Yes mom. Don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow." Paige said as she closed the door behind her._

_**88888**  
_

_Paige stayed hidden as she contemplated what she was about to do. She couldn't help it. Rosewood was only a few hours away from Radnor and before she knew it she found herself standing across the street from Emily's house, hiding in the shadows. She took out the phone and dialed her number._

_"Hello." The sound of Emily's voice made Paige smile sadly._

_"Hey gorgeous." Paige said in greeting._

_"Please tell me this isn't a prank call." Paige heard the catch in Emily's voice._

_"No. It's not. It's me." She said, deciding to sit on the damp grass when she saw a light turn on in Emily's bedroom._

_"Paige!" Paige smiled through her tears when she heard the sheer happiness in Emily's voice._

_"I take it you're not mad. I thought you were going to be mad." Paige said softly. "For me leaving you like that. I'm so sorry."_

_Paige imagined Emily shaking her head and smiled at the thought of her soft, long hair cascading around her shoulders. "No. Well I wasn't exactly happy with the way you left but… the letter. Your letter made me get it." Emily said quietly. "I miss you."_

_"I miss you too." Paige said breathlessly._

_"Where are you? How's the search going?" Emily asked softly._

_"I can't tell you and slow." Paige replied. "But I don't want to talk about that. Tell me about your day." Paige said as she rested her head on a tree trunk and continued looking up at Emily's window. She must look ridiculous but she didn't care._

_"Well I don't think I have to tell you how it just got a whole lot better." Emily laughed melodically but Paige heard her tears. She smiled softly and listened as Emily continued to tell her about her day. "Well let's see, I pretty much stayed at home the whole day and I wasn't really in the mood to do anything so I just watched Rudy three times…"_

_**88888**  
_

_"I need to go. I'm about to run out of minutes." Paige said apologetically. They've been talking on the phone for almost half an hour and Paige knew she was running out of time._

_"Will you call me again tomorrow?" Emily asked Paige hopefully._

_"I don't know." Paige teased as she stood up. "Let's make a deal. Promise me you won't watch Rudy again and I'll call you." Paige said, knowing Rudy is Emily's go-to comfort film. "I don't want you to be sad Em." She said seriously._

_"Then come back to me already." Emily whispered sadly._

_"I can't. Not yet. Just promise me you'll try. Please." Paige said pleadingly._

_"Okay. Promise to call me and I won't watch Rudy." Emily said after a beat._

_"No gorgeous. Promise me you won't watch Rudy and I'll call you tomorrow. Not the other way around." Paige said._

_"How will you know if I keep my end of the deal?" Emily asked._

_"I trust you." Paige said sincerely._

_"Okay I won't watch Rudy anymore." Emily said quickly._

_"Then I'll call you tomorrow." Paige promised. "And don't tell anyone I called you." She added._

_"Okay. It's our secret." Emily said. "Paige…" Emily started._

_"I know. Me too." Paige whispered, ending the call._

_She waited for Emily to turn off the light in her bedroom before slipping out of the shadows to throw the phone in the nearest dumpster and started making her way towards the direction of the bus station, a solitary figure walking down an empty street._

_**88888**  
_

_Caleb was having no luck in finding any video footage of the night of the fire at the marina. The security cameras placed strategically near the docks were mysteriously shut off around the time of the fire. He told Dani and Paige that he planned on hacking into the security feeds of the establishments near the marina hoping one of them would yield a lead._

_For their part, Dani and Paige continued to look into the family of Alison DiLaurentis, desperate to find any clue as to the whereabouts of any female relative she might have. So far, they found 4 aunts (2 on each side of the family) and 4 cousins (on her mother's side) but no sister._

_The sudden surge of possible leads they could follow didn't hinder Paige's nightly visits to Radnor and Rosewood and despite the fatigue she was feeling from the trips, Paige continued to watch over Emily, reminding herself that after this is over maybe she still had someone to come home to._

_**88888**  
_

_Before she knew it, two months have passed since Paige left Rosewood. Almost two months have gone since she started calling and visiting Emily every night._

_She got so used to patiently waiting in the shadows for Emily to get home by herself before she called her that she was surprised when she saw her walk home tonight with a girl. The girl was pretty. Even from a distance she could see that. She watched as the girl said something which earned her a half smile from Emily. When they reached the front of Emily's house, the girl waited until Emily was inside before walking back to the direction they came from. She walked Emily home. It wasn't much but it was a start. This girl likes Emily._

_When she finally called, she wanted to ask Emily about it but that would mean letting her know that for the past few weeks she'd been acting like a stalker, lurking in the shadows from across Emily's house, so she didn't. Emily didn't mention the girl when she asked her about her day so Paige had no choice but to let the matter drop. But she had to know._

_**88888**  
_

_"Hey Caleb." Paige said into the phone as she lied down on her bed, her gaze transfixed to the ceiling._

_"McCullers. How can I be of service?" Caleb greeted her._

_"How's Emily doing?" She asked, getting straight to the point._

_"Good. She's maintaining her GPA for the scholarship, winning meets, hanging out with her friends more often…" Caleb rambled._

_"Seeing anyone?" Paige asked before she could stop herself._

_Caleb laughed. "No. She still talks about you constantly. But… there __**is**__ this girl. Her co-worker. Her name's Tara something or other. She's new around town. Spencer told me she caught Tara making googly eyes at Emily on more than one occasion, and that she's easily flustered when around her too. Kind of like you before you and Emily became a couple." He said._

_"You're hilarious." Paige said dryly, rolling her eyes._

_"I try." Caleb answered. "Why do you ask?" He inquired, suddenly serious._

_"No reason." Paige said offhandedly, not wanting to give away the fact that she was visiting Emily every night. "You think she's serious about Em?" She asked after a beat._

_"Spencer said from the looks of it she is but Emily won't give her the time of day because of a certain someone." Caleb replied._

_"That shouldn't stop her. If she really likes Em she won't give up." Paige said assuredly._

_"Who knows? Maybe one day she'll actually do something about it." Caleb said. "Until then as promised I'll look after Emily." He said earnestly._

_"Thanks." Paige said, ending the call._

_**88888**  
_

_"Off to Radnor again?" Dani asked as Paige was on her way out. "Or is it Rosewood?" She added._

_Paige turned around and looked at Dani guiltily. More than two months have passed since Paige sought Dani's help to find out the truth about the accident and Dani noticed that ever since Paige's first visit to Radnor, her best friend always went out, promising to return the next day. At first she didn't say anything about it thinking Paige wanted to control her rage but as the days passed, she seemed to notice that Paige bought burner phones on a daily basis. She was calling someone and it didn't take a genius to know who it was._

_"Yeah." Paige nodded. "I meant the Radnor part not the Rosewood part." She added hurriedly._

_"P, you don't have to lie. She's your girlfriend. It's not wrong to want to see her." Dani said, confused as to why Paige was trying to hide the fact that she was missing her girlfriend. When Paige didn't say anything, realization dawned on her. "She __**is**__ your girlfriend right?" Dani asked cautiously._

_"I don't know what we are anymore." Paige admitted after a beat. "She doesn't even know where I am or that I'm with you."_

_"And she doesn't know that when you call her you were actually visiting her too." Dani finished._

_"I figured it was better this way. I put her through so much already." Paige said, defeated. "I don't want to keep holding her back. I know she's having a hard time through all of this. She doesn't say it but I can feel it."_

_"Paige you didn't have to lie to me about it. It's none of my business anyway. You came to me for help on the accident. Not about you and Fields." Dani said gently. "But if you're finding a way to let her go those late night calls and visits better stop at some point." Dani reprimanded her sympathetically knowing she was telling Paige something she already knew._

_"I know. I'm just waiting for something." Paige said as she held the door open._

_"What's that?" Dani asked, curious._

_"For someone to step up." Paige said before heading out the door._

_**88888**  
_

_For days she patiently watched as Tara walked Emily home every night, not doing anything other than wait for her to get inside her house before walking back to the direction they came. She began to notice how Emily was becoming more comfortable around Tara and at one point saw them walking with their shoulders brushing. It was almost time. Little by little, her calls to Emily started getting less frequent even if her visits remained on a daily basis. Sometimes she just watched Emily from the shadows, leaving once she sees the lights turn off in Emily's room. Soon Emily won't need her anymore. Soon she would have no one to come home to._

_She was on her way to the bus station when a set of car lights stopped just beside her. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that the once deserted streets at this time of night had an unexpected commuter. Before she could hide, she found herself standing face to face with Spencer Hastings._

_"Paige?" Spencer said incredulously. "Oh my god, are you back?!" She asked while hugging Paige._

_Paige hugged Spencer briefly before distancing herself and shaking her head. "No. I was just passing by." She said uneasily._

_"Where were you headed? Emily's house is in the opposite direction." Spencer asked, confused._

_"Bus station. I have a trip to catch." Paige said while turning her back to start walking again._

_"I'll take you there." Spencer offered quickly as she grabbed Paige's arm. "Come on. Get in. You look like you're about to collapse."_

_Paige reluctantly got into the passenger seat of Spencer's car. She didn't realize how tired she was until now._

_"Emily's doing better." Spencer began. "She's maintaining her GPA, winning meets, spending time outside of her house…"_

_"She found someone else yet?" Paige asked, knowing the conversation was about to go there anyway._

_"You tell me." Spencer said after a beat. "You just came from Emily's didn't you? You saw her with Tara." She asked gently. When Paige didn't say anything, she continued. "She kinda reminds me of you actually. She wears her heart on her sleeve so it's pretty easy to see that she's smitten with Em."_

_"How does Em feel about her?" Paige asked while looking out the window, her voice never betraying the pain of having to ask that question._

_"She likes her. I mean she's comfortable around her. I don't know if she sees Tara __**that**__ way yet but she's letting Tara walk her home every night so that's something." Spencer said carefully. "Do __**you**__ want her to be with Tara?" She asked gently, glancing briefly at Paige._

_Paige didn't say anything for a moment, thinking about Spencer's question. "I want Emily to find someone who would make her laugh again. Someone who would always make her feel that she's loved." Paige said softly. "If Tara can be that person then I want Em to be with her."_

_"You're gonna give up just like that?" Spencer asked incredulously. "Paige this is Emily we're talking about. If I remember correctly before any of this ever happened you couldn't wait to spend the rest of your life with her. Don't tell me you changed your mind just like that." Spencer said, suddenly incensed with Paige's aloofness. "Take my advice and let go of your rage before it's too late." She added. "Otherwise stop lurking around like a stalker because something tells me this isn't the first time you've come to visit her without her knowledge."_

_"I just want to see her and make sure she's doing fine Spencer. It's not like I'm hurting anyone." Paige said defensively._

_"And you think that's fair to her? You get to see her but she doesn't get to see you? When she finds out you've been visiting her all this time it won't be pretty. Trust me." Spencer said seriously._

_"She won't find out if you don't tell her." Paige said matter-of-factly as Spencer pulled up in front of the bus station._

_"You're right. She won't find out. At least not from me. I won't tell her because she's been doing better lately. You didn't bother to stick around to see the mess you made. But I did. So did Hanna and Aria. And the last thing we want is to clean up after another one of your messes." Spencer said stonily._

_Paige nodded once and then got out of the car. "Thanks for the ride. And for looking out for Em. I'm sorry I broke her heart." Paige said sincerely before turning around to walk towards the entrance of the bus station._

_"You were wrong about something." Spencer called out after her, making Paige turn around. "About not hurting anyone. If you keep doing this… one day __**you'll**__ get hurt."_

_Paige shook her head and smiled faintly. "It already hurts."_

_**88888**  
_

_Caleb's continuing search for any footage from one of the establishments that lined the marina still yielded nothing but he promised to keep looking. By this time Paige's calls to Emily were getting rarer, with Paige saying it was because she was busy following good leads when in fact she still watched Tara and Emily's interactions while staying in the shadows. One of these days Tara was going to step up. She could feel it._

_The day she finally did was the day of Emily's birthday. Of course Paige knew this day would eventually come but nothing prepared her for the heartbreak. Knowing something was about to happen and seeing it actually unfold in front of your eyes are two __**very**__ different things._

_She wanted to surprise Emily tonight. Tonight she decided she was going to actually show up at Emily's front step and give her gift in person. That was the plan. But when she saw Emily and Tara on the front porch of Emily's house sitting side by side, their arms and shoulders brushing, she knew she stumbled upon a private moment between them and her plan changed. Emily's head was angled upwards, her eyes looking at the night sky, saying something to the girl sitting beside her while Tara just smiled at her. Never taking her eyes off her, never bothering to hide her attraction. Paige didn't realize she was holding her breath until she saw Tara lean in and kiss Emily, didn't realize she was holding back tears until she saw Emily reach out one hand and cupped the side of Tara's face as she deepened the kiss and Paige swore she felt her heart break. She willed herself to look away and finally did when she couldn't see them anymore through her tears. She was reminded once again of the reason she left. Because she can't be selfish. Emily deserved better. Silently, she backed away, once again finding herself hiding in the shadows, at a loss as to what to do next._

_**88888**  
_

_Hanna finally opened the door on Paige's 4__th__ knock. She took one look at Paige before breaking into a grin._

_"Paige!" Hanna greeted her, smiling warmly. "For a minute there I thought you wouldn't show up!" She said as she held open the door to let Paige in._

_Paige stepped inside and was immediately greeted by the warmth of Hanna's house. She didn't realize she was shivering from the cold._

_"You remembered what today was!" Hanna said as she moved around the room, getting ready to head out. "I'm on my way to Emily's right now so we can go together, although I'm kinda surprised you didn't head there yourself." She said as she stopped to finally look at Paige._

_Paige smiled faintly, hoping Hanna wouldn't notice her distress. "I really can't stay. I was just passing by and I wanted to give Emily this." She said as she held out the small box she was holding in one hand. "Will you give it to her?"_

_Hanna frowned. "Why can't you give it to her yourself? I'm sure she'd love to see you. Especially today." She said gently._

_"I doubt that." Paige said sadly, earning a confused look from Hanna. "I mean, I don't think it would be a good idea, me showing up out of the blue and then having to leave again. I don't want to put her through that all over again." Paige said hurriedly. "Just please give this to her. Tell her I gave it to you before I left and told you to give it to her today." She said pleadingly._

_"You want me to lie to Em?" Hanna asked disbelievingly. "No way Paige. I can't do that." She said, shaking her head._

_"Would you rather I show up and leave her again? I'm not staying Hanna. Whether you give this to Emily or I do, I'm still leaving." Paige said quietly. "I can't imagine what I must have put Emily through the first time I left; I don't want to do it again."_

_Hanna sighed and took the box reluctantly from Paige. "This sucks. __**You**__ suck." She said while shaking her head. "Just come back to Emily soon Paige. I want to see her smile again. Like, __**really**__ smile."_

_Paige nodded as she made her way towards the front door. "Thanks for looking after her. Don't worry about it. Maybe after tonight you'll see her real smile again." She said, trying to sound optimistic before walking out the door._

_**88888**  
_

_Dani noticed the change in Paige when she returned the next day. Her best friend seemed withdrawn and distant and it took her a while to respond when Dani asked what was wrong. Paige stood for a moment in the middle of the living room, seemingly in a daze, and said she thought she could take it but that nothing prepared her for the pain. She looked at Dani and said she did the right thing but Dani realized Paige was trying to convince herself. When Dani asked again what happened, Paige finally revealed that Emily found someone else and that her days of late night phone calls and visits to Rosewood have come to an end. When Dani asked how she is, Paige just said she couldn't breathe and collapsed in tears right in front of her, bringing Dani to her knees in an effort to comfort her inconsolable best friend._

_**88888**  
_

_After that night Paige never called Emily again. She had to let Emily properly move on and she knew if she kept calling a part of Emily would be holding back. She wanted Emily to completely let go. So she stopped calling for Emily's sake. But she stopped visiting for her sanity._

_Convinced that nothing was tying her to Rosewood anymore; she decided to let go little by little by selling her parents' house and devoted every waking moment to finding out the truth about the accident instead. Their luck was changing gradually. Caleb learned that Ali spent a summer in the Hamptons and she and Dani were making plans on following that lead. She just needed to tie a few loose ends._

_"Paige?" She felt the hand of someone on her arm and knew who it was before she turned around._

_"Aria." Paige said in greeting. After her meeting with the realtor to finalize some last minute paperwork, she decided to drop by Lucky Leons before heading to the bus station. She remembered how much Dani loved their cupcakes and decided on a whim to surprise her best friend with a box of assorted ones. It was the least she could do after everything Dani did for her these past few months. She forgot that Aria worked for Laurel Tuchman, whose shop was just beside Lucky Leons. __**Busted**__._

_"I saw the 'FOR SALE' sign in front of your house." Aria said, getting right to the point. No pleasantries whatsoever. "So you __**really**__ are leaving Rosewood for good. Nothing holding you back here anymore?" She asked rather bluntly._

_There was still one thing that tied her to Rosewood which no one knew about so Paige just nodded. "I figured it was time to let go." She answered knowing Aria understood she wasn't just talking about the house._

_"Yeah." Aria nodded. "I can see that. You certainly have the knack for doing whatever you want while the rest of us watched helplessly as Emily broke down for the second time since you left her." She said frankly. "No goodbye whatsoever huh? You couldn't be bothered to tell her yourself that you changed your mind and decided you weren't coming back after all. You had to let her find out by letting her pass by your house and see the sign with her own eyes." Aria shook her head disappointedly. "How could you do that?"_

_"I already said goodbye to her Aria." Paige said quietly._

_"When?! You promised you were coming back. That promise was what kept Emily going. Selling your parents' house doesn't exactly scream __**I'm coming back**__ Paige. It screams __**I'm cutting all ties to Rosewood**__." Aria said disapprovingly._

_"I don't want to give her false hope. I won't allow her to just wait for me when I'm not even sure I'm coming back. She has to move on." Paige argued. "And so do I."_

_"Well you should have told her that in your stupid letter." Aria said, irritated. "Now she's all depressed again no thanks to you."_

_Paige made the mistake of letting her guard down just when she thought Aria wasn't looking and noticed the look of realization dawn on Aria. Quickly, the girl grabbed her hand and led her away from Lucky Leons towards Laurel Tuchman's shop._

_"What are you doing?" Paige asked, confused. "I have a bus to catch."_

_"This won't take long." Aria said before leading the way inside the store. "Sit." She ordered Paige sharply as she went to the back room._

_Moments later, Aria emerged holding what looked like a wallet-sized black and white photo and sat beside Paige. "Because of the tragedy that occurred we sometimes forget what happened the day before." She said quietly as she handed her the shot she took of Emily and Paige at the marina looking overwhelmingly happy and in love. "You still have a reason to come back Paige. Rosewood will always be your home. Even if you sold your parents' house. Because of her." She said, while looking at Emily in the picture. "No matter what happens, there is always hope for the people in that photo. So come back to her."_

_Paige nodded wordlessly and brushed the tears stinging her eyes before standing up. "Don't tell her you saw me." She whispered pleadingly as she hugged Aria goodbye._

_**88888**  
_

_"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dani asked, concerned, as she looked at Paige who was sitting beside her in their rental car, looking outside the passenger side window._

_Today was the day they decided to pursue the possible lead at the Hamptons and they opted to rent a car to get there instead of riding public transports. They were about to leave Dani's apartment when Paige asked Dani to drive her to Rosewood first because she needed to do one last thing._

_It took a while for Paige to answer Dani's question as she was too preoccupied watching the figure cleaning tables at the Brew. "I need to do this." Paige said as she nodded distractedly. She took one look at Dani and smiled faintly. "I'll be back before you know it." She said before opening the car door and making her way to Tara, steeling herself for what she was about to do._

_**88888**  
_

_"Hey there." Paige said as she approached Tara timidly. In the light of day, she finally got a chance to see up-close the girl Emily started dating. She was really pretty and had an air about her of genuine niceness. "You probably don't know who I am." She began._

_"Paige, right? Em's ex-girlfriend." Tara said while giving her an open smile. "I saw a photo of you and Em in her room. Although I have to say that photo doesn't do you justice." She explained._

_**She's calling her Em and she's been in her room. That was fast. Emily must really like her**__. Paige hid her surprise and nodded. "Thanks. And you're Emily's new girlfriend."_

_"Tara." Tara said while extending her hand. Paige clasped it and shook it firmly. "If you're looking for Em, she's not here. Her shift's this morning. You can try the natatorium at her campus though if you really need to talk to her." Tara said, going back to cleaning tables._

_Paige shook her head. She committed to memory Emily's work schedule so she knew it was the perfect opportunity to talk to Tara. "I actually came here to talk to you." She said anxiously, following her around. "Do you have a few minutes to spare?"_

_Tara looked at her curiously. "Sure. I actually have a break coming up but why do you want to talk?"_

_Paige shrugged. "Just needed to say something. Can we go someplace private? I really don't want anyone to see me. I'm not supposed to be here." She said quietly._

_Tara nodded. "I figured. Emily told me you were in this quest or something so I was kinda surprised when you showed up. Here, this way." Tara said as she made her way inside the shop and led the way to an alcove that was relatively hidden from the rest of the shop. She took a seat on one of the couches and motioned for Paige to sit on the other._

_"So, what do you want to talk about?" Tara asked while looking at Paige, slightly amused._

_"Emily." Paige said intently. Tara just nodded, letting Paige continue. "I'm not trying to come between you two or anything." She said hurriedly. "I just want to make sure that this time she's with someone who will stick around so I want you to know her."_

_"How did you know we were going out in the first place?" Tara asked, a little confused. When Paige's face turned red, Tara laughed. "You've been asking around haven't you? It's cool. If I have an ex-girlfriend as amazing as Emily I would ask around too."_

_Paige breathed a huge sigh of relief. For a second she thought Tara was going to say it seemed like Paige was watching Emily. She nodded. "Yeah. I've been asking around. Sorry. I just wanted to make sure she's with someone who knows her worth." She said sincerely._

_"Of course. That's really cool of you." Tara said as she nodded and smiled understandingly. "I really like her Paige. I'm not going to hurt her." She admitted earnestly._

_Paige nodded in affirmation. "That's good to know." She said, suddenly feeling a little comforted at the thought that she was leaving Em at the hands of someone who will really take good care of her._

_"So what do you mean by you want me to get to know her?" Tara asked curiously._

_"I just want to make sure that you won't give up on her so easily that's why I want to tell you a few things about her." Paige said apprehensively while looking down. It took all of her strength just to come up to this girl. She needed more for what she was about to do. She swallowed hard and looked at Tara directly. "Here's the thing. Emily, she's, uh… imperfectly perfect. She has quirks and irks and it may take some time to get used to it but she's definitely worth it." She began as Tara listened attentively._

_"Like, when she goes to sleep, don't forget to get her a glass of water and place it on her bedside table because she tends to get thirsty in the middle of the night and she can rouse the entire household while trying to get one from the kitchen." Paige smiled forlornly as she tried to remember everything she can about Emily. "She doesn't really like the crust of a sandwich so when you make her one don't forget to remove it. Then slice the sandwich diagonally. She likes to eat her sandwiches like that." She continued._

_"I don't know how she does it but she has this weird knack for running into glass doors so you better get used to opening doors for her. Even car doors. Just to be safe." She chuckled, fondly remembering the times Emily ran into glass doors. "Uh, always, always treat her like a lady so pull out a chair for her whenever you can, and when you go on dates, make sure you stand up whenever she leaves the table." She said smiling softly._

_She shook her head, smiling at another memory. "She has this crazy thing for heights and a Ferris wheel always does the trick. It makes her giddy like a 5-year-old on a sugar rush; it's so adorable I swear." She said, grinning. "So if you don't like heights find a way to distract yourself when you're at the top. I say this because she likes staying at the top for a few minutes; it makes her feel like she's part of some grand plan, so before you ride one tell the operator to keep your car at the top for a few minutes."_

_She cleared her throat. "When you pick her up for a date and you have a car never honk the horn to let her know you're outside. Go to her front door and wait for her there. She and her parents deserve to be treated with respect so greet her mom and tell her of your plans for the night and promise that you'll get her daughter home safe." She paused, suddenly remembering something. "Speaking of her mom, always bring her flowers when you come by to visit them. Daisies are her favorite. As for her dad, it may not seem like it but she misses him a lot. They both do. So make it a point to really listen when they talk about him."_

_She bit her lower lip, trying to stop the tears from coming. "She already dated someone who treated her mom with disrespect and I can't let her go through that again… her parents are wonderful people so please make an effort to be on their good side and spend time with them when you can because she deserves someone who would respect and love the people who raised her to be the woman she is today… I mean, you've been around Emily for quite a while so you know how extraordinary she is. A woman like that is a testament to the parents who raised her." Paige said, her voice catching in her throat. This was harder than she thought._

_"Uh, she probably knows it already but never get tired of telling her she's beautiful every day and kiss her forehead before you part ways with her. If you can, walk her to class and be sure to carry her books and stuff." She continued lightly. "Oh, be sure to carry a cherry or strawberry licorice with you at all times because she has this habit of biting her pens. So when you see that happen gently take the pen away and offer her a licorice stick instead. It works every time." Paige smiled proudly. "She doesn't really like bouquets. A single flower will do. Just make sure every day you give her a different one. And try to spend time with her friends. They mean the world to her so if you get along with them it would make her really happy."_

_"She tends to be preoccupied when she knows she isn't walking by herself so when crossing the street you have to make sure that you stay on the side of the oncoming traffic so that you'll keep her safe all the time." Paige furrowed her brows before continuing. "By the way, if you haven't watched Rudy I suggest you rent it one of these days. It's her go-to comfort film so when you see her feeling sad or down, just suggest watching it with her. But just to be sure, you better start collecting funny stories to tell in case Rudy doesn't work." Paige said, reminding herself that she was doing the right thing._

_"If you want to see her blush, just tuck her hair behind her ear and let your hand linger there for a second. Trust me, you'll want to make her blush every chance you get because when that girl blushes she can make your heart race a mile a minute." She smiled wistfully. "Laugh at her funny stories and her jokes even if it's corny or weird or you don't get it at first. Because when that girl smiles at you everything is right in the world." She bit her lip to keep herself from breaking down. She was almost done._

_"When you guys go to a party make sure that you don't drink too much because you're the designated driver in these situations. Always. Her body has a low tolerance for alcohol but she won't admit it so she tends to get drunk easily. And though she's __**very**__ endearing when she's drunk, the next day she's anything but." Paige said while shaking her head, smiling wryly. "She tends to get cranky sometimes when she has a huge hangover the next day but breakfast in bed definitely changes her mood." She said confidently. "I have to warn you though. She's not that great of a cook; she actually landed me in a hospital once for food poisoning." She chuckled at the memory. "But if the time comes that she cooks for you; eat it all even if it tastes funny. Just drink lots of water to wash it down." Paige said reassuringly._

_"Lastly, she has an amazing heart so be patient with her when she talks about me from time to time. Don't get mad at her and don't be jealous. She just tends to have a hard time letting go of the people she used to love. But she'll get there eventually." She said softly, swallowing hard, her throat constricting at the thought that one day Emily will forget her. She stood up and Tara followed suit. "The rest you have to figure out for yourself." She smiled at Tara. "I have to get going. My friend's probably wondering what happened to me."_

_Tara nodded. "Thanks for coming by. Don't worry; I'll take really good care of her." She promised earnestly. "And you don't have to ask. This stays between us." She added, knowing Paige wanted to keep their meeting a secret from Emily._

_"Thanks." Paige said gratefully as she moved to leave the alcove._

_"Can I ask you something?" Tara said suddenly, making Paige turn back to look at her. "Why?" Tara inquired. "If you love her this much, then why are you walking away?" She asked, clarifying her question._

_Paige smiled feebly. "It's because I love her so much more than this. But there comes a point where I realize that I have nothing left to give. That's why." She said sadly before leaving._

_She hurriedly made her way across the street to Dani, who was looking at her worriedly. "Everything okay?" Dani asked once she got inside the car. "Paige?" She asked anxiously as Paige seemed so crestfallen the moment she got in._

_"There's nothing for me here anymore." Paige said distantly. "Let's go to the Hamptons."_

* * *

"Hey P, you okay? You've been in there awfully long for a shower." Paige's eyes snapped open when she heard Dani knock on the bathroom door frantically.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'll be out in a sec." She called out. She hurriedly moved to turn off the water before she stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself before walking out of the bathroom.

"Finally. I thought you slipped and fell. Or worse." Dani said cautiously to Paige, subtly hinting that she thought Paige could have inflicted self-harm the way she'd been acting the moment she got back. "What's going on?" She asked as Paige donned a pair of denim shorts and a navy blue tank top, making her look away as her best friend changed.

Paige lied down on the bed next to Dani and looked at the ceiling for a moment before closing her eyes. She could feel Dani's worried gaze beside her. "Emily cheated on me." She said, defeated. Saying the words out loud made it real, made it sting a thousand times more than the blade she used to cut herself in the past. She felt like she was just gutted.

Dani was silent for a moment, not knowing how to react to what Paige just said. "When? With who?" She asked when she finally found her voice.

"The day I was about to go home from Radnor. I knew something was wrong. She was late and when she arrived she had been crying and seemed so upset." Paige sighed, suddenly exhausted. "First with Nate. Now with Tara." She said absentmindedly.

"Whoa. She's done this before? This is the second time and it's with _Tara?!_ Her ex-girlfriend Tara?" Dani asked, shocked. "Did you tell her?" She asked, suddenly worried.

Paige opened her eyes and shook her head. "No. The thing with Tara stays between us remember?" She said before chuckling bitterly. "This is such a nightmare. I feel like I'm the butt of some sick joke right now. Asking Tara to take care of Emily when she already made a play for her long before I saw them together. She just sat there and listened as I rambled on and on about how to keep the girl she already stole from me." Paige bit her lower lip in an effort to stop herself from crying again.

"So, why did Emily do it?" Dani asked cautiously, aware that Paige might not want to talk about it.

"Among other things, the pressure of the way people saw us finally got to her. She got tired of trying to be perfect for me and for the people of Rosewood when nobody even asked her to be one in the first place." Paige said bitterly. "She was torn between wanting to move forward with her life and supporting me through my grief and somehow thought she had to choose so she felt like she was such a disappointment to everyone." She shook her head sadly. "But the reason why she did it that really hurt was that back then she doubted our relationship for a brief moment and thought of letting go while I was gone." She said dejectedly.

"What are you going to do?" Dani asked, wishing she could take away the pain Paige was feeling.

Paige shrugged. "What am I supposed to do?" She asked, the pain and devastation evident in her voice.

Dani felt herself tearing up. It pains her to see Paige like this. When she and Paige eventually reconciled years ago, she promised herself that she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize their friendship once again so she did her best to hide her feelings for her best friend. But after all these years, she never stopped loving Paige even if she never once looked at her. Paige was always looking at Emily even if Emily was looking at someone else. Always trying to catch up to Emily even when Emily was running away from her. All the reasons why she never approved of Emily all those years came rushing back to her. It wasn't just because she was extremely jealous. It was also because for some reason she felt that while Paige loved Emily unreservedly, Emily always held back. Yet as much as she wanted to point this out to Paige, she knew Paige needed someone to help her figure things out.

"Well can you forgive her?" Dani asked, setting aside her reservations about Emily. "I won't ask if you still love her because we both know you still do. So… can you forgive her? Find a way to trust her again?"

Paige looked at Dani thoughtfully for a moment, her heartbeat suddenly increasing its tempo. "It's not that simple." She whispered, suddenly aware of their closeness.

Dani furrowed her brows in confusion. "Why? It's a simple yes or no question Paige." Something was different with the way Paige was looking at her.

Paige shook her head and looked away. "No. It's not. We actually broke up tonight. Like, officially broke up. She knew I was torn and understood that I needed to figure some things out." She said in a voice that was almost a whisper.

"Figure what out?" Dani pressed.

Paige closed her eyes, suddenly feeling exposed. "My feelings." She answered uneasily.

"Feelings. What feelings?" Dani asked, still at a loss.

Paige took a deep breath. "My feelings for you." She finally uttered resignedly, opening her eyes to hold Dani's gaze.

"Oh." Dani said breathlessly as Paige watched her face flush. Just like that, Dani understood that for the first time, Paige was finally looking at her.


	7. Because You Left

**DISCLAIMER**: _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters will never ever be mine. All characters in this fanfic except for maybe four belong to PLL. A few events in this fanfic were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. Since I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL, I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is all about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~To everyone who took the time to post their reviews about each chapter, THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOUR WORDS OF PRAISE ABOUT MY WRITING AND STORY CONCEPT ARE SO AWESOME. I am extremely overwhelmed. Thanks for saying I should write a book… those are some serious words of praise considering I mostly deal with math stuff in my line of work. LOL. Again, I apologize if I only post one chapter each week. I'm kinda meticulous about details so I refuse to post a new chapter unless I am absolutely sure that the contents of said chapter meshes with what I've posted so far.~**

**~Most of you are starting to have mixed feelings about the whole Dani/Paige relationship and I can't help but be flattered that some of you are actually rooting for Paige and Dani to become more than friends for a little while… that means my portrayal of Dani's character is working. But you guys may have to wait for quite a bit about the whole Dani-Paige-Emily thing. That would slowly unfold in Chapter 8 and continue on to Chapters 9 and 10, which I am about to start writing as we speak. I think it wouldn't be fair if I just wrote of Paige's side of the story in the years she and Emily were apart so this chapter will focus on Emily's this time.~**

**~Like I said, don't you guys worry, this is a PAILY fanfic… they're bound to get back together eventually, but timing is everything and right now they still have a few issues to work out. I promise they'll get back together **_**way**_** before the last chapter. This story will be done a few days before 3b starts so the chapters are going to be quite lengthy. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and following it.~**

**~To _celthag_ ****and **_**Rissalynn24**_**: I kinda see myself in Paige and Dani actually. Due to certain events that transpired which led to that moment, I met this girl a long time ago and I fell in love with her the moment I laid eyes on her. But I chose to be her best friend instead. I didn't say anything for a **_**decade**_**. When I finally decided to pour my heart out to her in a letter (yes, I am **_**that**_** shy), unlike the Paige in my story who was so cool about it when she found out about Dani's feelings, my **_**friend**_** actually stopped talking to me. I guess our friendship just hit its expiration date. So, so **_**awesome**_**. The greatest friend a person could ask for. If I sound bitter just now it's probably because at the back of my mind I still am. LOL.~**

**~To **_**shokoshik**_**: I was actually reading **_**As We Were**_** but then I started writing so the time I used to spend reading fics on this site went to that instead. I stopped reading the PAILY fics in this site for now… but I promise I will resume reading yours once I finish this story.~**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Because You Left…**

_**"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth."**_** – Marcus Aurelius**

Emily watched miserably as Paige entered the motel room she shared with Dani, her vision immediately blurred by the tears she was keeping at bay the entire drive back to Rosewood once Paige closed the door. The simple act of Paige shutting the door behind her seemed to bode of finality. Emily looked at the hand she held on to Paige's the entire drive home and choked back a sob. _It's over. For real._ It shouldn't devastate her this much. Considering they haven't seen each other for two years, she should have gotten used to the distance that separated them back then. But this time it was different. The coming days would be worse. Because this time, the distance that would separate them wasn't in terms of miles or kilometers anymore. She felt her throat constrict at the thought of seeing Paige but not being able to touch her. Of having to watch as she falls harder for Dani with each passing day when Paige promised that Emily was the only one for her.

_Emily, I'm yours_. The memory of when Paige uttered those words to her, humbly, sincerely, emphatically, came to her so suddenly she held her hand to her chest. When Emily was so consumed with jealousy after she met Dani, instead of dismissing it, Paige held her close and said that while she loved seeing Emily get jealous when it came to her, she didn't want to make Emily feel that way again. She wanted Emily to always know that she had nothing to worry about. _How am I supposed to let her go?_ She let out a sob. She missed Paige already.

It still felt surreal. After dating on and off for almost a year, trying to deny how she really felt, she finally stopped struggling and let herself fall in love with Paige. But not entirely. It still terrified her. For some reason it still terrified her to completely surrender to the love Paige has for her. Because doing so would mean making herself completely vulnerable as well.

Emily didn't want to admit it but she got so used to walking in and out of Paige's life in the past because she knew that Paige wasn't going anywhere. All this time Paige has been her constant too. She should have found solace in that thought, but unlike Paige who firmly believed that Emily is the one thing she was certain of in her life, Emily believed that nothing is certain so when she finally admitted how she really felt, the doubts began to surface. _What if Paige stopped loving me? What am I going to do then?_ Still, she found herself holding on fervently to that love. Now that things appeared to be over between them, she still can't seem to find a way to let it go. Even while Paige was gone, and now that she's back for good, she was still desperately holding on.

* * *

_"You might not have a choice." Hanna said, handing Emily an envelope. "I'm sorry Em. She's gone." She said softly._

_The words reverberated in Emily's mind but she couldn't understand what it meant. She was hyperventilating. The next thing she knew she was on her knees on the concrete pavement in front of Paige's house. She felt the sting telling her she scraped her knees but it was nothing compared to the anguish she was feeling right now. __**Paige is gone**__. __**She really left me**__. She felt numb all of a sudden. She looked at the letter in her hands and saw that her name which was neatly scrawled in Paige's handwriting in front of the envelope was now tear-stained. She didn't realize she was crying. She took a deep, shaky breath in an effort to try and control her breathing before slowly standing up. __**I have to get out of here**__. __**I have to find her**__. She hurriedly made her way past her friends towards her car, her progress hindered by the tears that still blurred her eyes. __**Don't leave without me, please**__. __**Don't leave**__. She got into her car and was about to start it when she felt hands holding her back. She looked up and saw Spencer seating beside her._

_"Em." Spencer said gently, tears falling from her friend's eyes._

_Emily let out a sob and held her hand to her chest, finally crying in agony as Spencer wordlessly pulled her close._

_**88888**  
_

_Dearest Em,_

_Please don't be mad but I had to leave without you. It's not because I don't love you anymore because you know I will always do. It's not because I blame you because I don't. None of this was your fault so please stop blaming yourself. There's only so much we can be accountable for in the events that happened that brought us here. I have to do this on my own. To find the people that caused us so much pain and suffering that we became mere shadows of whom we once used to be. As much as I want you by my side, it's not right to take you away from everything and everyone you love. I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. You barely recognize the person I've become and I know that a part of you is terrified for me. I know that's one reason why you want to go._

_So I had to leave this way. Because I know how much you love me, what you are willing to do for me. That you would walk away from everything you once knew if it meant being with me. As much as I love knowing and hearing you say that, I cannot be selfish with you. I don't want our relationship to be seen as something that causes damage and pain and suffering to others when it has been nothing but beautiful and pure. I don't want you to give up your friends, your family, and your life just to be with me. We can't be selfish. I've put you through enough. I want you to start living your life again because I don't want to keep holding you back. So live the life you once had before all of this madness. Please try for me. Eventually we WILL find a way to be together again. I am not ready to give up on us. It's just right now we have to do things this way._

_I will call you when I can. I just can't tell you where I'm going because I'm not certain of it myself. I promise I'll be back someday and if that time comes and you still want me, I am yours._

_Whatever happens, YOU are my constant._

_I love you Emily Fields. Always have, always will._

_Paige_

_**88888**  
_

_Emily touched Paige's name wistfully and choked back a sob. Her throat felt raw and her eyes were puffy but she still somehow can't stop the tears from coming. Back when she was crying uncontrollably in front of Paige's house, she thought she was spent when she finally calmed down. Her friends let her read Paige's letter in private and were against leaving her but she told them she needed to be alone. She drove aimlessly after she left Paige's house and eventually found herself standing on their spot at the marina, looking out into the open waters. She had been rereading the letter Paige wrote to her for the past hour, still reeling from the reality that Paige is gone. __**What am I going to do?**__ She thought miserably as she leaned her head forlornly on one of the wooden posts supporting the barriers that lined the boardwalk. She felt her throat constrict and sensed a fresh wave of tears that threatened to spill just thinking about waking up tomorrow and the days soon after, knowing she wasn't going to see Paige, not even during the weekends like she used to when Paige was in Radnor. __**How could I have ever been confused about her coming back for good?**__ She never thought Paige would walk away from her and now she felt so lost._

_**Paige**__. __**How am I supposed to live the life I once had when you're the biggest part of it?**__ She thought as she closed her eyes and let the tears fall again. __**Just please keep your promise and come back to me. I'll wait however long it takes. Just like you patiently waited for me all those years. I'll wait. Starting now**__. She opened her eyes and wiped her tears, then pushed herself off the post, staring at it pensively for a second before taking out a set of keys from her pocket. Using one, she patiently etched a vertical line on the post. __**That's one**__._

_**88888**  
_

…_**We're sorry, you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. If you feel you have reached this recording in error, please check the number and try your call again…**_

_Emily dejectedly lowered the phone she held to her ear and stared at it for a while before finally ending the call. She barely slept a wink since Paige left last night. It was almost 3 am when she finally cried herself to sleep but she woke up even before her alarm sounded at 5. For a moment, she just laid in her bed, unmoving, just staring at the ceiling, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness. She knew it was a longshot but she decided to try and call Paige's number. __**Disconnected**__. Just like them. She turned to her side and her eyes fell on the photo on her bedside table. A fresh wave of tears threatened to spill from her eyes at the sight of it but she resisted the urge to cry. When her alarm finally sounded, she slowly hit the snooze button and sat up. Looking at her phone once again, she willed it to ring. Paige always called her at this time. She was her first and last call of the day. But it didn't ring. With a sob, she accessed her voicemail instead._

_**Rise and shine babe! Sorry I'm leaving a voicemail instead of calling you today. I had a really busy day yesterday and I just got home. But it was definitely worth it. It's now 4 in the morning and I'm kinda beat so I don't think I'll be able to call you at 5. Sorry. Won't happen again. Anyway, before you start your day I just want to say I love you and that you're so, so, breathtakingly beautiful. And in case you have a bad day, I just wanna say I love you again. I love you. I am so in love with you Emily Fields. Just a few reminders. Look before you cross the street okay? And watch out for glass doors! I won't see you until after your shift at the Brew and I kinda want to see my girlfriend still in one piece. So please take good care of yourself. And don't work yourself too hard. Save some of your energy for our trip because I have a surprise for you later. But until then, try to have an awesome day!**_

_Emily found herself smiling wistfully at the sound of Paige's voice while looking at the ring she had on her finger. __**We're not engaged anymore so why am I still wearing this?**__ Her vision suddenly blurred and the tears she thought she was able to hold back just minutes ago came in waves. __**I don't want to let her go**__. She answered her own question brokenly. She wrapped her arms around herself and curled up in her bed, her body racked with sobs. She didn't have the strength to do anything else and she found herself playing the message again and again._

_**88888**  
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_For the first few days that Paige was gone, Emily tried to do what Paige asked of her. Live the life she once had. Like nothing changed, she continued to focus on her classes and on her swimming. She put in extra shifts at the Brew and tried putting on a brave face in front of her friends. But the reality that Paige was gone caught up to her once again and all of a sudden, she couldn't bring herself to care about her classes, swimming, or work anymore. All of these things seemed insignificant and mundane without Paige. She wanted everything to stop until Paige finally came back. One day, she decided to write Paige a letter. And then the next day she wrote another one. Until she had five letters in a box she kept on the drawer of her bedside table. Five letters but the contents are all the same. She couldn't stop writing. Just like she couldn't stop counting the days until Paige finally returned to her._

_**88888**  
_

_It was a Sunday night and as per usual, Emily was lying on her bed, staring longingly at the photo on her bedside table when her phone rang. She let it ring for a moment before she finally grabbed it and answered the call, never taking her eyes off Paige._

_"Hello." Emily said distractedly._

_"Hey gorgeous." The voice on the other end of the line made Emily sit upright on her bed. __**That voice**__. She thought, her heart pounding wildly, her breathing becoming ragged. She knew that voice by heart. She didn't think she'd ever hear it again, but she was too terrified to hope._

_"Please tell me this isn't a prank call." Emily's voice caught in her throat and she hurriedly moved to turn on her bedside lamp._

_"No. It's not. It's me." Paige's voice came on again from the other end of the line and Emily smiled widely, looking once again at their photo._

_"Paige!" Emily squealed, the overwhelming happiness she was feeling evident in her voice. She was grinning from ear to ear, her heartbeat was racing, her palms were sweating and she was getting butterflies in her stomach. It was like she was falling in love all over again._

_"I take it you're not mad. I thought you were going to be mad." Paige said softly. "For me leaving you like that. I'm so sorry."_

_Emily vehemently shook her head and remembered that Paige couldn't see her. "No. Well I wasn't exactly happy with the way you left but… the letter. Your letter made me get it." Emily said quietly. "I miss you." She whispered, tears starting to form in her eyes._

_"I miss you too." Paige said breathlessly, making Emily curl into a fetal position as she lay down on her bed once again and faced the photo, imagining Paige is right in front of her._

_"Where are you? How's the search going?" Emily asked softly as she continued to stare at the Paige in the photo._

_"I can't tell you and slow." Paige replied. "But I don't want to talk about that. Tell me about your day." Paige said, making Emily smile wistfully._

_**I can't let her worry**__. "Well I don't think I have to tell you how it just got a whole lot better." She laughed but felt the tears roll down her cheeks. She wiped them away hastily. "Well let's see, I pretty much stayed at home the whole day and I wasn't really in the mood to do anything so I just watched Rudy three times…" She crossed her fingers as she said this. __**It was really five**__. Emily thought._

_**88888**  
_

_"I need to go. I'm about to run out of minutes." Emily heard the reluctance in Paige's voice. They've been talking on the phone for almost half an hour but it wasn't enough. She didn't want to stop talking to Paige._

_"Will you call me again tomorrow?" Emily asked Paige hopefully, trying to let Paige know she doesn't want to lose touch with her again._

_"I don't know." Paige teased, making Emily bite her lower lip anxiously. "Let's make a deal. Promise me you won't watch Rudy again and I'll call you." Paige said, knowing fully well why Emily watched Rudy. "I don't want you to be sad Em."_

_The sound of her nickname coming from Paige's lips brought a pang of sorrow to her. "Then come back to me already." Emily whispered sadly. __**Please**__. She begged silently._

_"I can't. Not yet. Just promise me you'll try. Please." Paige said to her pleadingly._

_Emily touched Paige's face on the photo and smiled sadly. "Okay. Promise to call me and I won't watch Rudy." Emily said after a beat._

_"No gorgeous. Promise me you won't watch Rudy and I'll call you tomorrow. Not the other way around." Paige said._

_"How will you know if I keep my end of the deal?" She asked, trying to find a way to prolong their conversation._

_"I trust you." Paige said sincerely._

_Those words struck a chord. She is suddenly reminded that Paige still doesn't know about what she did. "Okay I won't watch Rudy anymore." Emily said quickly, hoping somehow she was redeeming herself in Paige's eyes._

_"Then I'll call you tomorrow." Paige promised. "And don't tell anyone I called you." She added._

_Emily nodded enthusiastically. She won't tell anyone if it meant Paige will never stop calling her. "Okay. It's our secret." Emily said. __**This was it**__. They were about to hang up. She needed to say it. "Paige…" Emily started._

_"I know. Me too." Paige whispered, finally ending the call._

_"I love you Paige." She whispered fervently into the empty room that not so long ago was filled with her cheerful voice. She got up and turned off her bedside lamp and then lied down once again. She could barely make out the photo in the darkness but she knew where it was. She stared at it until sleep overcame her, but unlike the past few days where she dreaded opening her eyes, she was suddenly looking forward to waking up tomorrow._

_**88888**  
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_After that call, Emily's friends noticed the abrupt change in her behavior in the weeks that followed. She started attending her classes and going to swim practice again and went back to work at the Brew. She even started taking cooking classes. Not that they were complaining but they wanted to know what caused this sudden change in her behavior and why she was always in a hurry to get home at night. Knowing she promised to keep Paige's late night calls a secret, she just said she woke up one day and realized that she didn't want Paige to worry so she's going to try to make it until Paige comes back like she promised. Her friends were unconvinced with the reason she gave but decided not to push the issue further. What was important is that Emily was slowly recovering._

_But for Emily it was trying once again to do what Paige asked of her. Live the life she once had. She didn't want to lie to Paige about anything anymore. She tried to go back to the life she led before the accident so when Paige called and asked her about her day, she could be honest with her. If she still can't muster the courage to come clean about the cheating, the least she could do was stop lying about everything else. And she was doing it well, that is, until Tara came into the picture once again._

_**88888**  
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_A week after Emily returned to work at the Brew, she was surprised when Kevin asked her to train Tara. The last thing she wanted was to work side by side with the person who would constantly remind her of her second indiscretion. But she had no choice. Unless she somehow found a way to own the Brew, she had no control over who they hire. She knows Tara is very much interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with her and now that Paige is gone, Tara saw it as a sign that the way is clear. When Spencer stopped by one afternoon to see if she could convince Emily to have dinner with them later instead of hurrying home like she always does, she pointed out the obvious to Emily that her co-worker is practically drooling all over her. Emily dismissed it and said she will never be interested in anyone else but Spencer insisted she start looking saying Paige made it clear they were broken up for now so there's nothing wrong with entering into another relationship._

_**88888**  
_

_"You know, I'm __**pretty**__ sure that can be considered as vandalism." Emily was so startled to hear Tara's voice so close to her ear that she dropped her keys. Before Emily could recover, the other girl was quick to lean down and grab the keys, giving her a mischievous grin while handing it back. "Don't worry. It'll be one of our secrets as well." Tara whispered conspiratorially._

_Emily took the keys and pocketed it quickly without looking at Tara. "Thanks." She said, not bothering to elaborate that she was merely thanking the other girl for picking up her keys._

_"No problem." Tara said, walking a few steps to stand in front of Emily so that the other girl had no choice but to look at her. "And let me just state for the record, before you start accusing me again, that I wasn't following you. I just had dinner with a friend and was on my way home when I saw you tarnishing this post right here." She said, inclining her head to the direction of the post. "You must really miss her. This right here is your spot isn't it?"_

_Emily nodded and started walking towards the parking lot. She needed to get home because she wanted to talk to Paige in her bedroom where she could stare at their photo so she could pretend Paige is right in front of her the whole time. Tara followed her close behind._

_"I've been meaning to ask you something." Tara said as she walked beside Emily. "I was kind of surprised to see you on my first day at the Brew. The last time I saw you, you almost tore off my arm in your haste to go home to pack your bags because you said you and Paige were leaving Rosewood." She said._

_"What's your question?" Emily asked impatiently as she reached for the door handle on the driver's side of her car and paused to look at Tara._

_"What happened?" Tara asked gently._

_"Isn't it obvious? She left without me." Emily said bitingly. "Sorry." She said immediately, knowing Tara didn't deserve the way she was speaking to her right now._

_Tara shook her head. "It's cool. I shouldn't have asked. I should have known the matter was still taboo." She said apologetically. "I just didn't think she would leave you behind, that's why I was confused. I mean she asked you to come with her right?"_

_Emily felt her face redden and she avoided Tara's gaze. She didn't have to say anything. The other girl knew the answer._

_"Oh." Tara said softly. She cleared her throat after a beat. "Well this is awkward." She said weakly._

_Emily shook her head. "It's okay. She gave me a letter explaining why she had to leave me behind. I'm not mad at her." She said softly as she opened the door and got in._

_"I guess I'll see you at work then." Tara said, taking the hint that Emily didn't want to talk about it anymore. "Goodnight." She said before giving Emily a small wave and turning her back to her._

_"Goodnight." Emily said as she closed the door and put the keys in the ignition to start her car. But it wouldn't. "Oh come on, not again." She said as she struggled to start her car. Her car hasn't acted up like this since the day of the accident. She sighed. The last thing she needed was this. She needed to call Triple A again but first she had to find a ride home. She looked at the retreating form of Tara and hurriedly got out of the car to try and catch up to her. "Hey." She said timidly as she touched Tara's shoulder, making the other girl turn around in surprise. "Listen, I hate to ask but I'm having car trouble. It won't start and I really need to get home right now. Can I get a lift?"_

_"What's wrong with your car?" Tara asked, concerned._

_"I don't know. I think it's acting up again." Emily said while looking at her watch. "Please?" She asked the girl urgently._

_Tara looked at her for a moment and then cleared her throat nervously. "Uh, yeah, sure. I can give you a ride if you're in a hurry. My car's this way." She said as she started to move once again towards the direction of her car._

_"Thanks." Emily said appreciatively. "But can you wait for a few minutes? I need to ask someone from the marina to call Triple A, have them take a look at it." She said gingerly. "I won't be long. I promise."_

_"Sure. I'll just stay right here." Tara said as she shrugged. "I'm not in a hurry anyway." She assured her._

_"Thank you so much." Emily said, relief evident in her voice as she turned towards the direction of the front desk and broke into a run._

_**88888**  
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_"I really can't thank you enough." Emily said gratefully as she and Tara walked the rest of the way home. They were almost near Emily's house when the clutch of Tara's car started to malfunction and she had trouble shifting gears. She had no choice but to stop fearing she could cause an accident or worse get into one. After saying that she would call Triple A later, Tara offered to walk her home the rest of way and Emily felt the need to let her since she didn't want to just dismiss Tara after the girl went to the trouble of driving her home._

_Tara shook her head. "No need to thank me. I'm so embarrassed about the whole thing actually. I offered to drive you home and my stupid car chose this time to humiliate me. I'm so sorry." She said sheepishly._

_Emily gave her a small smile. "You don't have to be so embarrassed about it. Seriously, I can't thank you enough." She said as she stopped in front of her house and faced the girl. "This is me." She said quietly._

_"Right." Tara said, suddenly at a loss as to what to do next. "Well, I'll wait until you get inside. Just to be sure you actually get home this time." She said shyly._

_"Thanks again." Emily said, nodding her head once and hurriedly making her way inside, the brown-haired girl instantly forgotten at the thought that Paige was going to call her any minute now._

_**88888**  
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_After the first night that Tara walked her home, the girl started to do it on a daily basis, insisting she was trying to make up for the incident she dubbed as "The Night That Chivalry Failed." Emily was uncomfortable about the whole thing at first but as the days passed, she found herself gradually looking forward to their walks home. She started opening up to Tara and eventually became comfortable around her because of the sweetness that the girl seemed to effortlessly exude. What started as uncomfortable walks turned into easy banters, the distance between their bodies getting smaller until Emily found herself brushing shoulders with Tara as the girl walked her home every night. It also didn't hurt to have the same taste in music and she and Tara started spending time together outside of work, checking out music scenes and gigs in and out of Rosewood._

_"Emily Fields as I live and breathe." A surprised voice behind her made Emily and Tara turn around. "Good to know Paige's departure didn't affect your social life." CeCe Drake said in greeting as she approached Emily and gave her a hug._

_"CeCe. What are you doing here?" Emily asked in surprise as she hugged the blonde girl back. She and Tara were at one of the bars they frequent in front of the marina. Emily liked the place because it was low-key and the people who frequent it are mostly there to have their music discovered. She liked being around people who are trying to make something of themselves as it reminded her to keep trying for Paige._

_"Meeting a friend." CeCe said before shifting her attention to the girl standing beside Emily. "We haven't met. I'm CeCe. You could say I'm a friend of Emily's." She said while extending her hand to Tara and smiling._

_"Tara." Tara said as she took CeCe's hand and shook it, smiling as well. "I'll get us seats." She said to Emily when she saw that the girl seemed uncomfortable with the situation._

_Emily nodded her head gratefully before turning her attention back to CeCe. "I haven't seen you around much." She said, trying to start a different topic of conversation. She didn't like the way CeCe's eyes followed Tara before looking at her again._

_"Yeah, I've been busy with more important stuff lately but I'm still checking in with my assistant at the boutique every chance I get." CeCe said before grinning mischievously. "I have to say, I'm glad to see that you're adjusting well after everything that's happened. Your new girlfriend is gorgeous and seems amazing, not to mention she seems to have her act together. Ali would definitely approve." She said, nodding her head._

_"She's not my girlfriend." Emily said hurriedly. "We're just friends."_

_"Really. Could've fooled me. You look good together. Paige isn't around anymore so what's holding you back?" CeCe asked in a tone that said she didn't believe a word Emily just said._

_"Paige is coming back." Emily said firmly. "Tara and I are just friends." She insisted._

_"Got it." CeCe said, searching for an empty spot before looking at Emily once again. "But nobody said you can't have fun while you're waiting. And from the looks of it, you already are. So stop denying it." She said amusedly before making her way to the empty table she saw earlier._

_Emily pondered CeCe's words and looked at Tara who was gesturing for her to come over to the booth she got for them. She took one look at the ring on her finger and felt sick. __**What am I doing?**__ Suddenly hit with a wave of nausea, she turned her back to Tara and hurriedly made her way towards the exit._

_**88888**  
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_Paige's calls started getting less frequent but Emily figured she was just busy finding leads. She didn't have the courage to ask Paige why she wasn't calling her every night like she used to, afraid that Paige will pull further away. Whenever Paige called, she refused to talk about what she was doing and anything that was 'A' related. She just wanted to talk about Emily's day. Emily didn't know why but she felt the need to keep the existence of Tara a secret to Paige. Gradually, she found herself lying again. Whenever she told Paige about her day, she always conveniently forgot to mention Tara._

_**88888**  
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_"So. Your co-worker. Any plans on taking it to the next level?" Spencer asked out of the blue while they were having lunch at a café near Emily's school campus._

_Emily had a free hour before her next class when Spencer suddenly showed up and demanded they have lunch, telling her since she was always in such a hurry to get home every night, she figured the only time she could share a meal with her friend was either breakfast or lunch._

_"What do you mean?" Emily asked, confused._

_"I mean are you going to give the poor girl a shot or finally tell her to get lost." Spencer explained, shaking her head. "Seriously Em, you should start thinking about how you really feel about this girl. There's only so much she could take from all the mixed signals she's getting from you."_

_"I'm not sending her any signal Spence." Emily said while taking a bite from her veggie burger._

_"Please. You're letting her walk you home every night. Even Paige thinks there's something going on." Spencer cringed inwardly at her Freudian slip._

_"What do you mean?" Emily asked, suspicious._

_"I meant if Paige saw you two together she would think something is going on. The distance or should I say lack thereof between you two when she walks you home speaks volumes." Spencer said hurriedly._

_Emily sighed. "Why are you so adamant that I start something with Tara?" She asked as she put down her burger, having lost her appetite._

_"Paige is gone Emily. I know you don't want to hear it but she's gone. Maybe she's coming back, maybe she's not." Emily's eyes widened at Spencer's words. "Okay so she's coming back." Spencer said hurriedly. "But you don't know when and right now there's this girl who is so smitten with you she can't even figure out how to hide her feelings. There's nothing wrong with giving her a shot at making you smile again. I know that's what Paige would want as well." She said gently._

_"I made the mistake of thinking of letting go of Paige once. I won't do it again." Emily said quietly. "I like spending time with Tara but that's all there is to it."_

_"So basically you're just going to lead her on." Spencer stated incredulously._

_"I'm not leading her on. She knows where we stand." Emily argued._

_"Em, Paige walked away from you and chose to pursue a hunch. __**A hunch**__. She walked away from something that was certain for something that wasn't. You need to start moving forward with your life." Spencer insisted._

_Emily stood up, ready to leave. "I __**am**__ moving forward. What do you think have I been doing all this time?" Emily asked defensively._

_"Getting by." Spencer said quietly. "You're not living Em. You're just getting by. You still wear that ring on your finger when we both know you and Paige aren't engaged anymore." She said gently._

_Emily felt herself starting to tear up. She had to get out of there. "I'm late for my class." Emily said as she moved to get her wallet from her bag to pay for her lunch._

_"I got this." Spencer said. "I'm sorry I upset you." She said apologetically. "I'm just really worried about you."_

_Emily nodded. "I know. And I appreciate it. But please don't push me to be with Tara. It's not right." She said quietly, not telling Spencer the real reason why she doesn't want to get involved with Tara romantically. "Thanks for lunch." She said before turning her back to her friend and walking out the door._

_**88888**  
_

_As the days passed, Paige's calls became so rare that Emily found herself staying up 'til the wee hours of the morning every day in the hopes that Paige would call but she never does. If she did it was only once and she still can't seem to find the nerve to ask Paige why she wasn't calling as often as she did, fearing it might drive her away entirely. She tried not to show her friends that something was bothering her. She promised Paige she would keep her calls a secret and she intended to keep that promise even if she wasn't calling her every night like she used to._

_When the day of her birthday came around, she woke up saying to herself that today was going to be a good day. She knew she shouldn't hope but Paige wouldn't disappoint her today. She was going to call._

_Her friends wanted to have a simple dinner at her house that night to celebrate and she agreed to it, figuring if Paige called, she would just excuse herself to go to her room to talk to her. It was only 7 pm and her friends weren't supposed to arrive until 8 so she decided to sit on the front porch, her thoughts automatically drifting to Paige, when Tara showed up suddenly. To Emily's annoyance, Tara said a friend of hers came by the Brew earlier and mentioned that it was Emily's birthday, profusely apologizing for dropping by unannounced. Making a mental note to yell at Spencer later for meddling, Emily told Tara it was fine and lied, saying she could use the company while waiting for her friends so Tara joined her on the front porch._

_"Since you're here, I want to apologize for running out on you at the bar last week. I wasn't feeling well and I had to leave." Emily said, knowing her explanation was feeble._

_Tara smiled understandingly. "Emily, it's okay. You don't have to lie. I saw your face when we ran into that friend of yours. You were terrified." She said, somehow putting into words what Emily couldn't bring herself to say. "You and I have been spending time together without the knowledge of your friends and I think running into one of them that night made you feel as if you have to start explaining to them why you're with me."_

_"I just don't want them to make a big deal out of it." Emily finally admitted. "I do like spending time with you, but…"_

_"That's all there is to it. I know the drill." Tara said reluctantly, finishing Emily's sentence for her. She looked at Emily for a moment before sitting closer to her. "Can I ask you something?" She asked quietly._

_Emily nodded distractedly, her eyes focused on the night sky, hoping Paige would call her any minute now._

_"Why didn't you tell Paige about the kiss?" She asked carefully. "I mean, I know you're scared she might end things between you two but, you didn't tell her and she still left."_

_Emily continued looking at the sky while she answered Tara. "I couldn't tell her because I kissed someone else before you while we were still together. It wasn't the first time that I cheated on her." She said quietly. "It was right here, on this porch, that I consoled in the worst possible way someone I thought I knew. He kissed me and I kissed him back."_

_"He?" Tara asked, confused._

_Emily nodded, suddenly embarrassed. "He was my ex-girlfriend's cousin, or rather, he pretended to be her cousin but he was actually her stalker. He told me his name was Nate, but it was actually Lyndon." She explained._

_Tara nodded thoughtfully. "But… you confessed to Paige about that kiss." She said gently._

_Emily nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah. It took a few days but I finally found the courage to tell her. I thought she was going to be mad and that she was going to break up with me, but she didn't. She forgave me right there and then." She said, thinking she would give anything just to have Paige beside her right now. __**I miss her so much**__. She thought as she crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest, suddenly feeling extremely lonely._

_"You don't think she could forgive you if you told her about our kiss?" Tara asked quietly._

_Emily shrugged. "I don't know. But I don't want to risk it this time. Our situation is complicated enough as it is. If I tell her now she might not come back." She said quietly._

_"But if she comes back, will you tell her then?" Tara asked gently. When Emily didn't say anything, she decided to ask something else. "Why did she leave anyway?" Tara inquired._

_"She wanted to find answers." Emily said vaguely, not wanting to tell Tara anything more about Paige's life._

_"I didn't mean to make you so sad today." Tara said apologetically, noticing the sudden change in Emily's mood._

_Emily shook her head. "It's fine. But can we please talk about something else?" She asked._

_"Sure." Tara said lightly. "Actually I wanted to tell you something, that's why I came by." She said in a voice that was suddenly so nervous that Emily briefly looked at her quizzically._

_"What is it?" Emily asked, her brows furrowed._

_Tara took a deep breath. "I want to come clean about something. I realized I had to when you ran out on me last week. You see, I lied." She began. "When I said the only reason I was at the Brew was because I needed the job and I used to be a barista." She swallowed nervously. "I don't know if you know this but if you like someone, proximity is a good thing. And it's been pretty obvious for quite some time that I like you, like, __**really**__ like you and I've been racking my brain for a way to ask you to give us a shot." She said hurriedly._

_"Tara…" Emily began, about to tell her that she doesn't want to be more than friends._

_"I know, I know. You don't feel the same way. Or you probably do but you don't want to do anything about it because you think it's wrong to be with me when I was the girl you cheated with." Tara said hastily. "But here's the thing, I don't regret kissing you that day and I will never think that it was a mistake. I wish you would stop seeing me that way." She said honestly. "I don't think it's fair that I will always be seen as the girl you cheated with when I care about you so much."_

_She took a deep breath and sighed dejectedly. "I know I'll never be Paige, maybe that's a bad thing, or maybe it's a good thing. I don't know. But one thing I know for sure is that it's Paige's loss." Tara continued sincerely. "I just want you to give me, give us, a shot because I can't just sit and watch idly while you punish yourself for kissing me back when to me that kiss meant everything. It doesn't feel wrong."_

_"I don't always see you as the girl I cheated with." Emily admitted while she looked at the night sky again. "At least not anymore. Lately you've been so sweet and good to me and I wish I could tell you I feel the same way. But I don't want to lie. Maybe someday. But not now. Because right now all I can think about is…"_

_"Someday is good enough for me." Tara interrupted, smiling widely and before Emily knew it Tara's lips were on hers again._

_**Stop being so nice to me**__. She thought as Tara kissed her. __**Don't be nice**__. She thought as she closed her eyes and suddenly cupped Tara's face to deepen the kiss. __**Please don't be nice**__. She thought as tears fell from her eyes. __**I don't want to hurt you**__. But she can't help it. In her loneliness and pain she can't help it. __**Paige**__. __**If I don't open my eyes I could pretend I'm kissing Paige**__._

_**88888**  
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_Seeing that their second kiss somehow upset her, Tara decided to leave and let Emily figure things out, apologizing for her impulsive behavior. Her friends noticed immediately how upset Emily is the moment they arrived and Hanna made the mistake of stating out loud that Paige was wrong into thinking that after tonight Emily would smile her real smile again, saying Emily looked anything but happy on her birthday. When Emily asked what she meant by it, Hanna was quick to cover her mistake by saying Paige said something along those lines before leaving and quickly handed her a small box with a bow on top, saying Paige gave it to her before she left and told her to give it to Emily on her birthday._

_Because Emily's friends had no idea that she had been talking to Paige every night up until a few weeks ago, they couldn't understand why Emily looked so miserable when she took the gift. She couldn't tell them that the fact that Paige didn't even bother to call her tonight and that she had given Hanna the gift before she even left Rosewood were clear indications that after tonight she wouldn't hear from Paige again. She couldn't bring herself to open Paige's gift, terrified to see what was inside. She was reeling from the realization that Paige was somehow saying goodbye and she felt like the ground she was standing on was just violently ripped from underneath her and she was free-falling helplessly._

_**88888**  
_

_"Hey guys. It's me again." Emily said softly as she sat in front of the graves of Paige's parents, hugging her knees to her chest._

_She had been coming to the cemetery for months now, finding solace in the company of Paige's dead parents. It may seem morbid to others but aside from their spot at the marina, this was the only place she felt close to Paige. She talked to them for hours, telling them of her day and how their daughter was doing. But now she needed to talk to them because she couldn't talk to anyone else about what was bothering her. Even if she was surrounded by friends and a girl who seems to genuinely care for her, she still felt alone._

_"I, uh, brought you a bouquet of your favorite flower Mrs. McCullers." She said as she placed the red tulips gently on top of Paige's mom's grave._

_"So, your daughter stopped calling me." She said sadly. "Just like that. She stopped calling." She said as she wiped the tears that fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry I can't assure you guys that she's okay because I don't know if she is. I guess I just broke my promise that I would take care of her for you. I'm so sorry." She said quietly. "I thought I could save her like she saved me from the loneliness and the darkness that I felt when Maya was taken from me. But I guess she doesn't need me for that." She sighed before smiling wryly. "I don't know if I should be glad about that or hurt. That she's such a strong person that she doesn't need me or that she's such a strong person… that she doesn't need me. You get what I'm trying to say right?"_

_"I have to tell you guys something." She started playing with the grass, suddenly ashamed. "I cheated on your daughter before she left." She began. "This was the second time and while she forgave me the first time, I don't think she will if I told her about this one." She bit her lower lip nervously. "I'm sorry if it seems like I keep hurting your daughter when she has done nothing but love me unconditionally. I had a brief moment of doubt when she went to Radnor and I almost gave up on us, but even if she wasn't with me, Paige somehow reminded me that I am the constant in her life."_

_Emily took a deep breath. "I miss her so, so much." She said as she rested her chin on her knees dejectedly. "And to make things worse, I made another mistake last night. The girl I cheated with, Tara, uh, we've been hanging out a lot lately and I've known for some time that she wants to be more than friends." She admitted._

_"I think I may have led her on last night. She, uh, she kissed me again and I think she thinks we're dating now or something." Emily said wryly. "But I don't know how I feel about that. Is it right? I mean, I cheated on your daughter with her. I like spending time with her as a friend but I don't think I can ever see her as something more." She said, trying to understand how she felt._

_"Spencer told me I should give Tara a shot. But she doesn't know why I don't want to. And I know it's not fair to Tara that I refuse to be with her because to me what happened with her will always be a mistake. But she thinks because I kissed her back last night I'm willing to try." Emily sighed. "I'm such a horrible person. The whole time I was kissing her I was thinking of Paige."_

_She smiled sadly. "I think your daughter ruined everyone else for me. She's perfect. At least to me she is." She gently wiped the tears from her eyes. "Whenever she called and asked about my day, I avoid telling her about Tara. Not just about the cheating but about Tara wanting to be more than friends. I know your daughter and if she found out someone felt that way about me, she would stop calling in an effort to help me move on and I can't handle that." Emily said in a small voice._

_"I should hate her. Right? For leaving me?" She slowly stood up and took off the ring on her finger. Clutching it tightly in one hand, she willed herself to throw the ring away but instead collapsed in tears, the pain of thinking of letting go too much to bear. "I never told her anything so why did she stop calling me?" She asked, sobbing. "I kept my promise. I said I wouldn't watch Rudy anymore, I said I won't tell anyone she was calling. I kept my promise." Emily whispered, devastated. "So why didn't she keep hers?" She said brokenly. "She shouldn't have left me. I can't do this. I want her back. Please." She pleaded to no one in particular as she sobbed uncontrollably, the wind the only witness to her agony._

_**88888**  
_

_The days passed and Emily tried her best not to show her friends how heartbroken she was. She went about her usual routine of attending all her classes, showing up for swim practice, putting in extra shifts at work and spending time with her friends but Paige never left her thoughts. She was still writing unsent letters to Paige every day and still counting the days until Paige returned to her. She willed herself not to watch Rudy and still didn't tell anyone that she and Paige had been talking hoping keeping her promise would somehow make her phone ring one of these days. But it never did._

_Emily decided to start dating Tara and finally introduced the girl to her friends to the other girl's delight, but Emily knew she was doing it for the wrong reasons. She was lonely. And Tara was there._

_She thought she was doing a pretty good job of holding herself together until one afternoon. She was with her friends, on their way to watch a movie, when Spencer's car passed by Paige's house and she saw the FOR SALE sign. She quickly asked Spencer to stop the car and hastily got out, suddenly feeling nauseous as she stared at the sign, speechless. Her face must have revealed something to her friends because Aria asked if there was something she wasn't telling them. Without taking her eyes off the sign, she dazedly said that Paige didn't say anything to her about selling her house and that she's really cutting all ties to Rosewood. Before her friends could ask what she meant by it, she went back inside the car and asked Spencer to drive her home, saying she was tired and wasn't feeling well._

_Once she got home, she went straight to her room and looked for the gift Paige gave to her on her birthday. Trembling, she hastily opened the box and stared at the set of keys inside. They were the keys to the boat. __**Kismet**__. There was a note inside and with a sense of foreboding she took the note and opened it, her heart pounding wildly. She felt her throat constrict and she bit back a sob._

_**Keep these safe.**_

_**The boat may be gone but its name still holds true for us.**_

_**Someday I'll find my way back to you.**_

_**Kismet will help me find the way.**_

_**But for now, I'm letting you go.**_

_**-Paige-**_

_**I'm letting you go**__. That was Paige's gift. She was setting Emily free. Dazed, she returned the note in the box and put the box back in her drawer. Emily sat on her bed for a moment, staring at the photo of her and Paige before taking it in her hands. The sudden sound of something smashing made her friends run upstairs to her room as she sat weeping on the floor amidst the broken glass from the frame that once held their photo. Spencer and Hanna hastily started clearing up the broken glass while Aria went to Emily's side to steer her clear of the glass shards. Emily looked up at her friends and brokenly said she kept her promise, she didn't say anything to anyone about Paige's calls, but Paige didn't keep hers, she stopped calling. That night, they somehow managed to fit in her bed as her friends did their best to comfort an inconsolable Emily._

_**88888**  
_

_For a while her friends thought she was going to fall into another state of depression and she almost did, until one day, Aria said something that made Emily start hoping again. She said wherever Paige is, just because she stopped calling, doesn't mean she wasn't thinking of Emily anymore. That they knew all along that Emily is suffering but none of them knew how Paige is doing through all of this. They were all so focused on Emily when she wasn't the only one in pain. When Emily asked how she can be sure, Aria says it may have been Paige's decision to leave, but something tells her it wasn't what Paige wanted. It was something she felt she needed to do at the time. She gives Emily the photo she took of them, now in a new frame, saying she knows Paige will come back for her one day and that now more than ever; Paige needed Emily to hold on to what they have._

_**88888**  
_

_"Here you go." Tara said cheerfully as she placed in front of Emily a plate with a sandwich on it, its crust removed and sliced diagonally into two just the way she liked it. At least when Paige did it for her. But the gesture didn't make her appreciate Tara. It made her feel horrible. It made her wish Paige was there instead._

_Two weeks have passed since Aria's words made her realize that Paige was suffering as well. That she wasn't the only one in pain all this time. After their talk, Emily promised to herself that she will find a way to move forward with her life while still patiently waiting for Paige to come back, choosing to trust in what they have. But she knew she had to do things right. She can't be involved with someone out of sheer loneliness._

_"You have to stop doing that." Emily said quietly as Tara kissed her forehead lightly before sitting in front of her. Tara's sweetness wasn't going to make what she was about to do any easier. They were seated outside the Brew, choosing to sit at a corner table in an effort to have a little privacy. Knowing Tara was on break, she decided to come by and finally have the talk about the future of their relationship. Or lack thereof._

_Tara looked at her curiously. "Why not?" She asked. "You're my girlfriend Em. I'm supposed to do girlfriend-y things for you." She said while beaming at her._

_"We need to breakup." Emily said suddenly. __**There. Band-Aid ripped off**__. "I'm sorry." She said regretfully. "It's not you, it's me." Emily cringed inwardly at the words she just uttered to the suddenly confused girl sitting in front of her. But that was the truth._

_"Uh, what did I do?" Tara asked quietly, trying to hold Emily's hand, but Emily gently pulled it away. "Tell me what's wrong." She said in an effort to try and change Emily's mind._

_Emily shook her head. "You've been so good to me Tara. I'm sorry that it turned out this way. But I don't want to keep lying to you. I tried to convince myself that I was somehow moving forward with you but the truth is I just didn't want to wait for Paige alone." She admitted, not quite looking at Tara._

_"You don't mean that." Tara said, not willing to believe Emily's words._

_"I'm sorry but I can't do it anymore. It still bothers me that I cheated on Paige with you. I thought I would get over it eventually but in the end I realized all this time I was trying to convince myself that my cheating on Paige wasn't for nothing. That I wasn't stupid enough to risk our relationship for something that was meaningless. That I did it because I felt something for you at that moment. But it had nothing to do with you. That moment had nothing to do with you." She knew she was hurting Tara but she had to tell her the truth. "Whether it was you standing there that day or someone else, I would have cheated on Paige because I was plagued with doubts."_

_"I don't believe that." Tara said, shaking her head. "I kissed you and you kissed me back remember? If it was someone else who was standing in front of you that day the kiss wouldn't have happened because you wouldn't have made the move. __**I**__ made the move. And you felt something too because __**you**__ kissed __**me**__ back." She said, trying to make Emily realize what they have is genuine._

_"Whatever it was I was feeling it had nothing to do with you." Emily said adamantly. "It was a mistake. I was selfish. I missed the feeling of being wanted so when you kissed me for a moment I felt that I was. What I didn't realize sooner was that I only want Paige to want me."_

_"You never stopped seeing me as a mistake did you?" Tara asked, the hurt evident in her voice. "All this time, you never saw me as someone you could really grow to care about, maybe even love." She said, realization dawning on her._

_"I do care about you. Just, not that way." Emily confessed._

_"Because you refused to feel for me." Tara retorted. "I deserve better than this Emily. I am not some monster that set her sights on you in an effort to destroy your relationship with someone you claimed to be in love with. Someone who by the way, somehow made you feel that you needed to be perfect all the time so much so that you cheated on her in the end." Tara said, hurt. "Don't punish me for your mistake."_

_"I'm not. But I can't force myself to feel something for you when I don't. I'm sorry but it will always be Paige." Emily said ruefully._

_Tara nodded her head once, accepting Emily's decision. "I think you should go. My break's almost over." She said quietly, looking away at Emily._

_Emily stood up slowly. "I'm really sorry Tara. I hope you can find a way to forgive me someday." She said quietly._

_"We'll be fine." Tara said, still not looking at her. Emily hesitated for a second before turning her back to leave when Tara called after her. "And Emily." Tara said suddenly, stopping Emily in her tracks. She looked at Tara nervously. "I won't tell anyone about the kiss. Don't worry." Tara said quietly. Emily gave her a grateful smile. "I know you're worried about that secret getting out so I just want to assure you that if Paige or your friends eventually find out about it, it's because you finally found the guts to tell them." Tara said while standing up. "It's the least I could do for initiating that kiss." She said before disappearing inside the Brew._

_**88888**  
_

_"So that's what happened." Emily said as she hugged her knees closer to her chest. She was sitting in front of the graves of Paige's parents again, telling them of her breakup with Tara and why she did it._

_"Tara deserves someone who actually wants to be with her." She said sincerely. "She's really sweet. And she does all these things that Paige used to do for me, it's uncanny. But it still felt wrong. I feel awful for not appreciating what she does because the truth is; I only like those things when Paige does it for me." Emily admitted softly._

_She smiled wistfully. "Last night I wrote another letter to Paige." She said sadly. "But like the last 300 or so letters I wrote to her, I didn't know where to send it so I just kept it again." She took the letter out of her back pocket. "Want me to read it to you?" She asked as she unfolded it, clearing her throat as she began._

_Dearest Paige,_

_Hey. It's me again. You probably won't get to read this just like the other letters I wrote to you, but I still keep writing, hoping one day I'll find a way to tell you all of this. You see, I did a stupid, stupid thing again and I need you to tell me that you can forgive me someday. I cheated on you before you left. I kissed someone again and I am scared to come clean about it because I'm terrified that you won't be able to forgive me this time._

_I'm such a coward for not being able to tell you about my indiscretion because I can't take it if you left me. I don't even want to imagine what it's like for you to be looking at me and feeling nothing. So I'm always trying to be better. I know it may seem like I hate trying but… at the end of the day, when all is said and done, I love the fact that you choose to see the best in me. It makes me want to try harder to become a better person for you. It gives me strength knowing that there will always be at least one person who loves me so much she could believe in me unreservedly. I don't want you to stop loving me or stop seeing me the way you do. That's why I still haven't told you about the kiss. Because I am so selfish that I don't want to give up the love you have for me._

_I don't know what to do anymore Paige. Ever since you left I feel like I'm constantly drowning and I can't seem to come up for air. I'm supposed to be good at treading on water but every day that passes without you beside me makes me feel like I'm losing the battle. But I want to make you proud. So I'll do what you asked of me. Live my life. Just don't ask me to let you go. Because that's something I can't do for you. I can't let you go Paige, not after I finally found my way back to you. So even if you've let me go, I won't do the same for you. Because I know you'll come back to me and I will wait until you do. But if you can, please hurry back to me. Because I miss you terribly. And I love you immensely. And I know I never said it but you're my constant too._

_Forever yours,_

_Emily_

_She wiped the tears from her eyes as she folded the letter again, putting it in her back pocket before looking at the graves again. "In case I never said it before, thank you for raising Paige." She said, smiling through her tears. "She's the best thing that ever happened to me. You raised such an utterly amazing person. So thank you." She swallowed hard. "I love her so much." She said emotionally. "And I miss her so much I can't breathe. If I could I'd sit here all day, because spending time with you makes me feel like Paige is still here."_

_She finally takes off the ring on her finger and studies it for a moment, reading the inscription Paige engraved on it. __**TO MY CONSTANT**__. "This is the only thing I have left of us." She says quietly as she undid the clasp of her necklace to slip the ring on it before wearing it around her neck again._

_"Until she comes back I can't wear it on my finger. Because I have to find a way to tell her what I did first, and if by some miracle she decides she still wants to commit to me, then it would be an honor to spend the rest of my life with your daughter." She stood up slowly. "I need to go somewhere right now." She said apologetically. "But I'll be back again tomorrow. I just realized I have to do something." She said as she touched the smooth surface of the ring._

* * *

"Em." Spencer said, touching Emily's arm lightly.

Emily turned to her side to face her friends, tears streaming down her cheeks. When she finally got home after dropping Paige off, she headed straight to her room and has since then spent the rest of the night trying to stop her tears. Her friends came over to fill her in on what they found out about Paige and Dani's search for leads in the two years that they were together but were surprised to see their friend in tears again.

"Hey Em. What's wrong?" Spencer asked gently, sitting beside her on the bed.

"Paige and I broke up. For real." Emily said, trying to speak clearly in between sobs. "I told her about Tara and the kiss and she was so hurt and it didn't seem like she could forgive me right now so I said she should see where things go with Dani." She admitted brokenly.

"Why would you do that?" Hanna asked, confused.

"Because she had a choice to make. I knew it the moment I saw them at the bus station. And for once I want to stop being selfish when it comes to Paige." Emily said quietly.

"But she'll come back to you right? I mean she has to." Aria asked cautiously. "Em?"

"Of course she'll come back to her. They're MFEO." Hanna said confidently.

Spencer held Emily's hand and squeezed it tightly. "You're MFEO." She told Emily reassuringly, giving her a small smile. "She'll come around."

"What am I supposed to do until then?" Emily asked brokenly.

"Be your awesome self again." Spencer said, trying to make Emily smile. "And wait." She said seriously. "When the time is right, things will fall into place."


	8. Calm Before The Storm

**DISCLAIMER**: _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters = not mine. All characters in this fanfic except for maybe four belong to PLL. A few events in this fanfic were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. Since I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL, I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is all about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~Thanks so much for all your AWESOME reviews! Again, sorry I can only post one chapter each week.~**

**~This is the longest chapter yet and a few more chapters to go and they're finally getting back together! Story's going to be done a few days before 3b starts so the chapters are going to be quite lengthy. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and following it.~**

**~To **_**indre**_**: MFEO = Made For Each Other~**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Calm Before The Storm**

_**"We do not remember days. We remember moments."**_** – Cesare Pavese**

Paige was dreaming. But unlike the usual recurring nightmares she had all these years, this one was different. It was a moment when the car was going over the cliff. A moment when she forced her body to move in an effort to save Emily. A second when she caught her father's eyes moments before the crash. A furtive nod, a reassuring smile. Emily's screams broke the moment, and then everything went black.

Paige opened her eyes slowly. This time she didn't wake up trashing or yelling. She stared at the ceiling, unmoving. She didn't know what to make of it. Because for the first time, she woke up finally feeling she was forgiven.

* * *

Something was wrong. Caleb knew it the moment Dani sat in front of him, looking dazed and weirdly ecstatic.

"I'm afraid to ask." He said as he pushed a cup of coffee in front of his stepsister. He and Dani agreed to meet at the Brew the next morning to try and spend time like a normal brother and sister since there was no point in pretending otherwise.

"Thanks." Dani said gratefully as she grabbed the coffee and took a sip, not giving anything away.

"Okay what's going on?" Caleb asked, curiosity getting the better of him. "You look constipated and deliriously happy at the same time. What gives?"

Dani gave him a wide smile before answering. "Something awesome happened last night." She declared, the happiness evident in her voice.

"Why, what happened?" He asked while taking a sip of his own coffee. His sister was being so cryptic.

"Paige told me she has feelings for me. Like, romantic ones." She said giddily, starting to drum her fingers on the table.

"And?" Caleb asked, not able to hide his smile as well. He knew how huge this moment was for Dani.

"And nothing. She just said she has feelings for me and she's trying to figure things out." Dani said happily. "I mean I know I shouldn't get my hopes up or anything but the fact that Paige admitted she actually has feelings for me, like, romantic feelings, for a while now, I just, I can't help it. You know?"

Caleb nodded his head thoughtfully. He didn't want to put a damper on Dani's good mood but... "So does this mean things between her and Emily are over?" He asked, concern evident in his features. He didn't want Dani to get caught in the middle of whatever was happening between Paige and Emily. He wanted her to be happy but he also wanted to make sure it was going to stick.

"Yeah." Dani said. "Paige told me Emily cheated on her for the second time and that after their talk; they officially broke up last night. She said Emily knew Paige needed to figure out some things when it came to me." She explained.

"Okay, so what did Paige tell you?" Caleb asked.

"She said she needed a little time to make a decision." Dani admitted. "I asked if she could forgive Emily and find a way to trust her after what she did and Paige said she didn't know. It wasn't as simple as she thought it would be because of how she feels about me now. So, I'm crossing my fingers." She said, biting her lower lip nervously.

"Hey." Caleb said, reaching over to touch Dani's arm reassuringly. "Paige won't do anything to hurt you. Not when she knows how much her decision about your relationship means to you. Above all, you guys have been best friends for years. Whatever she decides to do about the situation, remember that." He said gently.

"I know. Oddly, that's one of the things I love about her. She's always been upfront about everything between us." She said, smiling gratefully at Caleb. "But I can't help but wish she'd give us a shot." She added nervously.

"Well whatever happens, I'm here to listen." He said, leaning back on his chair and smiling at Dani supportively. "So. What's next on our agenda about this 'A' thing?" He asked in an attempt to distract Dani.

"I told Paige she needed to get inside her old house to search for the file. I know it's a long shot but it can't hurt to check right? I think she and Hanna are headed there right now." Dani said thoughtfully. "Aria said she, Emily and Spencer were going to continue trying to find out what they can about the DiLaurentises. I figured we could use several sets of fresh eyes on that aspect of our investigation so I gave them the files we have so far." She explained. "We can't reveal what was on that footage yet so I thought it would be better if we handled that one. Let's head to the marina."

Caleb smiled. "You're pretty good at delegating stuff." He said, impressed.

"I know right?" Dani said, chuckling. "Come on, let's get going." She said enthusiastically, standing up and heading for Caleb's car.

* * *

"This won't take long. It totally slipped my mind that I promised my mom last night I'd swing by here to pick up the clothes for that clothing drive thing at the church." Hanna said apologetically to Paige as they enter CeCe's boutique, the bell hanging above the entrance door tinkling, signaling their arrival.

CeCe promptly emerged from somewhere at the back of the store, her face lighting up when she saw them. "Oh my god, are my eyes deceiving me?" She said, surprised. "So the rumors were true. You really _are_ back. Come in Pigskin!" CeCe said as she approached them, holding in one hand several dresses.

"Hanna, always great to see you." CeCe said, hugging Hanna briefly with one arm. "You here to get those boxes of clothes for the clothing drive?" She asked as she turned her back to them, heading towards one of the racks to hang the dresses she was carrying.

Hanna followed close behind. "Yeah. Good thing my mom reminded me this morning. I forgot that I promised her last night I'd take care of it." She said, motioning for Paige to follow her. "So, how was Fashion School in Milan?" Hanna asked.

"_Amazing_. I can't wait for you guys to see my own fashion line. Seriously, it's going to be _fabulous_." CeCe gushed. "But enough about me. Pigskin, when did you get back?" CeCe asked, looking behind Hanna to talk to Paige.

Paige fought the urge to tell CeCe to stop calling her by that name and gave her a small smile. "A few weeks ago." She answered.

CeCe nodded her head once and motioned for Hanna to follow her. "The boxes are right here." She said as she led the way to the back room. "So Pigskin, you and Emily back together? Are we about to see the rise of the 'IT' couple of Rosewood once again?" CeCe called behind her, her curiosity evident in her voice.

Paige shook her head. "No. I still need to figure some things out." She answered uneasily while moving to help Hanna sort through the boxes, not wanting to elaborate on her answer knowing Emily's friends probably know their status.

"You know, she and Tara looked pretty good together. Right Hanna?" CeCe said, turning her attention to Emily's friend briefly. Hanna shook her head discreetly at Paige when CeCe's attention shifted to the boxes once again. "Tara was her girlfriend after you left her." She explained with a hint of aloofness. "I was kinda surprised when they broke up actually. That girl seemed to have fallen pretty hard for Fields." CeCe commented, watching Paige's reaction closely.

Paige reminded herself that CeCe loved getting a rise out of people and forced herself to smile, her hands balled so tightly into fists she knew her knuckles were turning white. "It's too bad that they broke up then. But I guess some things just never work out." She said flippantly as she lifted a box and headed out the door, walking past CeCe on the way who she swore was trying to hide her smirk.

"Don't mind her." Hanna said behind her as they loaded the boxes into the backseat of Hanna's SUV. "You know how she is. You actually missed quite a lot in the two years that you were gone." She said before closing the door and moving towards the driver's seat. "Remind me to tell you everything sometime."

Paige shook her head, slightly amused at something. "So CeCe felt the need to attend a Fashion School in Milan?" She asked, smirking. "I never pegged the people of Rosewood to be into such high-end fashion."

Hanna grinned as well. "I know. But a few years ago she started talking about wanting to start her own fashion line in New York or Hollywood so I guess going to fashion school was her first step towards that dream of hers. We barely noticed she was around anyway. Her assistant practically managed the boutique even before she went to Milan last year." She said while getting into the car. Paige followed suit. "So. I know it's not my business but I gotta ask." Hanna began, changing the subject as she started her car. "You and Emily. Any chance you can forgive her again?"

Paige sighed. She knew this conversation was coming the moment Dani asked her to search her old house with one of Emily's friends. "Yeah." She said, noting the small smile her answer brought to Hanna's lips. "But it's not that easy. How could she keep something like this from me for years?" Paige asked, the hurt evident in her voice.

"Well she kept it from us too." Hanna said in an effort to lessen the pain Paige was feeling. "Of course it's an entirely different thing because we're her friends and it was you she cheated on." She said hurriedly. "And I can't imagine what must have been going through her mind then and what's going through yours now, but I understand her fear." Hanna said cautiously. "Knowing she went and did something that could worsen the situation between you guys when things were tense enough as it is, I get why she couldn't tell you. And then you told her you were leaving, and she was trying to get you to stay, so I get why she couldn't tell you at the time too."

"Fear can be paralyzing." Paige agreed. It was something she had to overcome as well to tell Emily about her self-hatred all these years. But unlike her self-loathing, Emily cheating on her is an entirely different matter. She renewed her trust in Emily the moment she finally overcame her fear and revealed her self-hatred. But Emily did two things at once when she told her about the kiss. While Emily also renewed her trust in Paige, ironically she also broke that trust.

"But she told you now. Even if things between you two are complicated, even if you two aren't together right now, she told you, knowing it would affect your decision to be with her. Doesn't that count for something?" Hanna asked as she stopped the car in front of Paige's old house.

Paige shook her head in disbelief. "You want me to give Emily some credit for telling me about it _now_ despite our situation? Hanna, I wish I found out about the cheating _before_ I left." She said reproachfully as she got out of the car. "Because _then_ I wouldn't feel like such a fucking idiot now for asking Tara to take care of Emily when she had been doing that the entire time I was in Radnor." She slammed the door harder than she intended, her rage starting to surface again. "She certainly didn't need my help in that department."

"What do you mean you asked Tara to take care of Em?" Hanna asked, confused.

Paige took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Nothing. Let's just get this over with." She said as she made her way to the front door in an attempt to end the conversation but the other girl was having none of it.

Hanna sprinted to catch up to her and held her upper right arm firmly, forcing her to stop in her tracks and turn to face Hanna. "Paige, the entire time you were away from Rosewood you didn't just talk to me, Spencer and Aria didn't you? You also talked to Tara." Hanna said, finally understanding what Paige meant.

"I didn't talk to Spencer and Aria on purpose Hanna. I ran into them accidentally. No one was supposed to know what I was up to. As for our conversation, I didn't plan on it. I was actually going to see Emily that night but I seem to have this uncanny ability to be at the right place at the wrong time." She shook her head derisively. "I saw them making out on Emily's front porch and I couldn't go through with it. I can't just show up when she was finally moving on so I came to you instead. After that night, even if it pained me to let her go I was somehow comforted with the thought that Emily won't be alone anymore so I decided to talk to Tara a few weeks later just to make sure it'll stay that way." Paige reluctantly confessed. "But I guess the joke was on me. That wasn't the first time they kissed." She said bitterly.

Hanna squeezed her arm consolingly. "I'm sorry you had to see that. But Paige, you do realize that Emily wasn't the only one keeping a secret all these years. She told you hers. But you still haven't told her about your nightly visits up until you saw them together. If trust is such a big deal for you, then I suggest you start thinking about confessing that particular secret of yours." Hanna said gently as they slowly made their way towards the front door. "As Emily's best friends we're not particularly keen on you telling her about it because when she finds out that we've seen you at least once in the two years that you were away, she's going to be furious with us as well, not to mention she'd feel betrayed. But we all know that at some point she has to know and believe me when I tell you that when she finds out, it won't be pretty." She said as she knocked on the door. "So brace yourself."

* * *

"What did I say about sitting on the hood of my car, sis?" Caleb reprimanded teasingly as he approached Dani at the parking lot of the marina.

Earlier on the drive getting there, Caleb decided it would be better if Dani stayed in the car while he talked to one of the employees at the marina. It was a precaution he decided to take, knowing fully well that if they left the car unattended there was a possibility that someone from the A-team could tamper with it, but he also knew that Dani still had her reservations when it came to interacting with the residents of Rosewood. The humiliation her family suffered years ago was still fresh in her mind and even if Dani put on a brave face, he could see past it.

Dani looked up from her phone and grinned at him sheepishly before lifting herself and jumping off the hood of Caleb's car. "Sorry. It was getting stuffy inside your car and given a choice between standing beside it and sitting on the hood, I decided to sit." She said as she slipped her phone in the back pocket of her denim cutoffs. "What took you so long?"

"Well FYI it was kinda hard to ask outright about the boat and its owner so I had to improvise. I pretended I was interested in purchasing a slip at the marina and ended up asking for information about several slips instead of just the one that was of interest to us." Caleb explained as he moved to get inside the car. "Knowing the A-team, they probably have someone on our trail right now so if I ask too many questions about that particular slip, they might realize we have something on them."

"I know. This entire thing is like some form of life or death chess game. We basically came back to Rosewood to gather evidence against them because we already have our suspicions. We just need to figure out how they're all connected. Paige doesn't want to admit it but at the back of her mind she did return for Emily." Dani said as she settled into the passenger seat. "So what did you find out?"

"You want the good news or the bad news first?" Caleb asked as he started the car.

"Good news." Dani said as she turned on the car stereo and settled for the drive back to the town.

"I found out the name of the boat and its owner." Caleb said, taking his eyes off the road briefly to look at Dani.

"So what's the bad news?" Dani asked, biting her lower lip nervously.

"It doesn't belong to anyone of the people in that footage. And I can't exactly ask the manager if she knows how any of them are related to the owner without arousing her suspicion." Caleb said, releasing a huge sigh. "You know what this means right? We have to do this the hard way."

"More research." Dani said, rolling her eyes.

"More research." Caleb confirmed as he focused his attention on the road.

"I got a text from Paige by the way." Dani said after a beat, trying to take Caleb's mind off the work ahead of them. "She said the old lady living in her house now was gracious enough to accommodate them. She was at the back doing some gardening so Hanna stayed outside to distract her while Paige used the old excuse of having to use the bathroom. She said she had a good news, a bad news and a new lead." Dani said, using her fingers to count them off. "Which one do you want to hear about first?" She asked.

"Just tell me everything in the order you mentioned it." Caleb said, nodding once.

"Well the good news is that she found a floor safe in her dad's old office. It took her several tries but apparently it still had the same combination so she was able to open it eventually. I guess the old lady had no use for it so she didn't bother to change the combination." Dani began. "The bad news is that there was nothing inside. So unless her father didn't hide it there, we can assume that the file _was_ taken the night of the accident. Paige said she searched everywhere but didn't find any other place her dad could have hidden the file. Which brings us to the new lead she discovered." Dani paused to make sure she got Caleb's full attention. "While she was looking around, she said she found a false bottom on one of the drawers in her dad's old desk. Thinking the file could be inside, she lifted it but found something entirely different instead. Something big."

"What is it?" Caleb asked, his brows furrowed. The suspense is killing him but he didn't dare take his eyes off the road.

"Caleb, we finally have an idea as to why her parents were out looking for Paige the day she went missing." Dani said nervously. "She found a ransom note."

* * *

"There's nothing here." Hanna said, thoroughly confused as Paige alighted from her SUV. After they left Paige's old house that morning, she asked Hanna to drive her to a spot overlooking the marina saying she needed to do something. "Are you sure you want me to leave you here?"

Paige nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for the ride. I'll find my own way home, don't worry." She assured her as she closed the door and walked to Hanna's side of the vehicle. "Here." Paige said, slipping inconspicuously to Hanna from the open car window the ransom note she found earlier. "Give that to Caleb or Dani when you see them. I might be here a while." She said before making her way towards a spot near the end of the bluff.

She was immediately surrounded by the comforting silence once Hanna left. Taking a deep breath, she got something out of the back pocket of her jeans before sitting on the grassy field, hugging her knees to her chest. Paige stared for a moment at the worn-out black and white photo of her and Emily, reverently touching Emily's face before looking out into the open seas, watching the boats as the wind propelled them closer to their destinations. "Thanks dad." She smiled faintly. "You were right. Even at the light of day this spot is perfect."

* * *

"Wow. Ali's mom is like, super smart. She could definitely give you a run for your money Spence." Aria said, genuinely amazed.

The three friends were huddled together in Emily's bed, poring over the contents of the files regarding Ali's family. Spencer and Aria came over just before 8 a.m. armed with coffee, muffins, and their own laptops. They figured they could do a little sleuthing that morning since Aria and Spencer were going to be busy in the afternoon. Caleb and Dani didn't want to risk leaving hard copies of the files they procured lying around so they gave each of them an encrypted copy of the files they have on the DiLaurentises on a micro disc instead.

"Straight-A student, president of several clubs, class valedictorian in high school, magna cum laude in college, you name it she achieved it. I guess we know where Ali got her smarts." Aria said as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Yeah if by smart you actually meant master of mischief, manipulation and blackmail then yeah, that's where she got it." Spencer said distractedly while studying the file on Ali's father. "Her dad's the big man on campus even when he was in high school. All-star athlete, offered several full-ride scholarships to prestigious universities throughout the country, led his team to win football national championships. He and Ali's mom have been seeing each other since high school. They were the 'IT' couple back then." She said before taking a bite out of her muffin.

"Well nothing really stands out on Jason's file." Aria said, poring over Ali's half-brother's file this time. "He got average grades in high school; he shifted courses several times in college. He joined several sports, competed in regattas, and dated a _lot_ of girls, but nothing points to him dating anyone related to him except for Melissa." She said, her brows furrowed.

"If Ali has an older sister, someone older than Jason, then around their senior year in high school Ali's mom would have been pregnant. But Caleb and Dani got a copy of her medical record when she had that abortion." Emily said thoughtfully as she studied the files herself. "Unless that record was faked and she didn't go through with it. But people would have noticed if she started showing. So why didn't they?"

"This is so frustrating." Spencer said, stretching her arms in front of her. "No wonder they barely found any leads that actually led somewhere. These people found a way to hide their secrets."

"Hey, we can't give up yet. We've barely scanned these files. Paige and Dani have been sorting through this stuff a lot longer than us." Aria said, trying to psych Spencer. "We need to help them get to the bottom of this. Not just for Paige but for Ali as well."

"I'm not giving up. I'm just saying they went to a lot of trouble to hide the existence of Ali's older sister if she does exist." Spencer said, starting to pore over the files once again. "Their parents must have forced them to get the abortion but they really wanted to keep that baby."

"Wait. I think I found the answer to my question." Emily suddenly said as she furrowed her brows. "Ali's mom went to France during her senior year in high school as part of an exchange student program. She stayed there for 10 months."

"Enough time to give birth and come back like nothing happened. Especially when she was already pregnant before she left." Spencer said thoughtfully. "When did she leave?"

"Uh, wait. I know I saw it somewhere..." Emily said as she started typing something on her laptop. "Here it is. From the date it seems like she left a week after she got the abortion." She revealed distractedly while sorting through more files.

"Then she was definitely still pregnant around that time." Aria said confidently.

"How can you be sure?" Emily asked, curious.

"I read somewhere that after you got an abortion; you can't ride a plane for about three weeks. If Ali's mom had one a week before she went to France then she wouldn't have been cleared to ride a plane." Aria explained to them before taking another sip of her coffee.

Emily looked at the files thoughtfully. "Then this is good." She said, a hint of excitement evident in her voice.

"What gives?" Spencer asked, noticing the sudden change in Emily's mood.

"Nothing. I just, for the first time since the accident, I was really able to help Paige today." Emily answered as she nodded her head once. "That means the trail they found leading to France isn't really dead. We just have to find out what happened when Ali's mom was there."

"Well I hate to break it to you Em but that is easier said than done. We can't exactly go to France." Aria said ruefully.

"Then we need Caleb and Dani to do their thing again." Spencer stated, packing her things and standing up. "I think that's about it for now. I have to get going you guys." She looked at Aria. "You coming?"

Aria looked at Emily who was still busily poring over the files. "Yeah. Just, wait for me downstairs. I'll be there in a minute." She said, smiling at Spencer briefly.

"Okay then." Spencer answered, walking towards the door. "I'll see you outside." She said before closing the door behind her.

Once Spencer left the room, Aria turned her attention back to her friend just in time to see Emily looking at the photo on her bedside table. "So. How you holding up?" She asked gently.

Emily shrugged, looking at the files in her laptop once again. "I'm fine. I had a good cry last night so..."

"Hey." Aria said, placing a hand on Emily's left arm as they sat in front of each other. "Remember what I told you about Paige needing you to hold on to what you two have? That still holds true. Even if she's back and it seems like things are over for now between you guys. That girl is a little slow on the uptake so you have to be really patient. Just because you decided to let Paige go doesn't mean you can't be there for her." Aria said softly.

"I know. I just can't help but think that maybe I'm too late. I wasn't really able to be there for her before she left and now that she's back it seems it's Dani that she needs. Not me. I blew it." Emily said, finally looking at Aria.

Aria shook her head. "It's never too late Em. That's what made your relationship worth rooting for. That even if things seem bleak, somewhere along the way you guys _always_ found your way back to each other." She smiled reassuringly. "She'll find her way back to you."

Emily nodded her head, still choosing to hold on to Paige. "Kismet will help her find the way." She said quietly as she looked at their photo once again.

* * *

_"Paige, sweetie, come on, let's go." Nick said as he and his wife led the way inside the church, a 5-year-old Paige bringing the rear. He looked back and saw what Paige was staring at._

_"You can play later." He said patiently as he took Paige's hand in his and gently steered her towards the church entrance. "Come on. We don't want to be late."_

_Paige refused to budge, looking intently at the girl sitting on the swings at the park opposite the church. "Daddy, she looks so sad." She said, finally taking her eyes off the girl to look up at her father. "It's her brother right? The one inside the church?" Paige asked before looking at the girl again. "I'll go get her." She said before removing her hand from her father's grasp and running across the street._

_Paige shyly approached the girl sitting on the swings. "Do you mind?" She asked, gesturing at the empty swing beside the one the girl was occupying._

_The girl shook her head but kept staring on the ground, her strawberry-blonde hair softly swinging from side to side. Paige took a seat beside her and smiled. "Your hair is nice. I'm Paige." She said shyly, extending her hand._

_"Danielle. Dani." The girl said, taking Paige's hand and shaking it gently, still refusing to make eye contact._

_"Well Dani, what are you doing out here?" Paige asked kindly, taking her eyes off the girl to look at the street across from them. "Shouldn't you be inside?" She said, nodding her head towards the direction of the people making their way inside the church._

_"They're mad at me. My parents." Dani said in a terrified voice. "It's all my fault." She said softly._

_Paige looked at Dani quizzically. "I don't think they're mad. I think they're just grieving." She said reassuringly, hesitantly touching the girl's arm._

_"He's dead because of me." Dani said, looking at her hands._

_"Well if they're mad, did you say you were sorry?" Paige asked, realizing reassuring Dani that what happened wasn't her fault wasn't helping. "My dad said if you say you're sorry and you mean it, people will forgive you."_

_"I told my brother I was sorry." Dani said, finally looking at Paige._

_For a moment, Paige was startled by how blue Dani's eyes were. "What did he say?" Paige asked when she finally recovered from her surprise._

_"He said it was okay. That he isn't mad and that he forgives me." Dani said, smiling faintly._

_"See? I told you. So come on, let's go inside." Paige said as she stood up, facing Dani and extending her hand to the girl. "Come on. You have to be strong. Otherwise you'll regret it if you never got to say goodbye to him."_

_Dani just looked at Paige's hand, still terrified to go inside. Paige smiled supportively and took Dani's hand, forcing her to get up. "If you need the strength to do it, I'm here. We're friends now so I'll help you say goodbye. And then I'll help you say you're sorry."_

_Dani held on tight to Paige's hand. "We're friends?" She asked, finally smiling._

_Paige nodded her head and led the way inside the church, holding Dani's hand tightly as well. "Yep. I have a feeling we're going to be the best of friends."_

_**88888**  
_

_"There you are!" Paige said, relieved as she caught Dani by the shoulder, forcing her best friend to turn around and face her. "I've been trying to get a hold of you. Are you avoiding me or something?" She asked, confused._

_Dani refused to look Paige in the eye, her cheeks starting to feel warm. She shook her head wordlessly before turning her back to Paige once again and making her way to class._

_"Hey." Paige said, catching up to Dani once again, this time grabbing her arm gently. "What's going on? Did I do something wrong?" She asked, thoroughly confused by Dani's behavior. Lately, she noticed that Dani made up excuses whenever she tried to invite her to spend time together. She flinched whenever Paige made contact with her and Dani's face always seemed flushed whenever she's around. Something was wrong._

_"You didn't do anything wrong Paige. You're perfect." Dani said quietly, still looking on the ground._

_Paige noticed Dani's face was getting redder. "Then why are you avoiding me?" She asked, upset._

_Dani noticed the hurt in Paige's voice and looked up at her quickly. "It's not you." She said hurriedly. "I think there's something wrong with me." Dani finally admitted, her voice betraying how scared she was._

_"What do you mean?" Paige asked, concerned._

_"Lately I've been having these thoughts and feelings and I've been trying to fight it because I don't think it's right." Dani whispered, scared. "I like you Paige."_

_Paige smiled quizzically at her. "I like you too." She told Dani. She didn't see what the problem was._

_"No. I meant, I **really** like you Paige." Dani said, fighting the urge to cry._

_Paige looked at Dani for a moment before finally releasing her grasp on Dani's arm. Dani **liked** her. She swallowed hard, not quite knowing what to say to that. She was brought out of her shock when Dani made a move to get away from Paige and she leapt into action._

_"Wait." She said, stopping Dani's movement once again. "It's okay." Paige said, her heart pounding. This doesn't change things between them. It won't. "You're still my best friend." She said quietly. "I just don't feel that way. I'm sorry."_

_Dani nodded her head once and smiled, relieved. "It's okay. I'm not expecting anything. I just don't want to lose you as a friend, that's why I couldn't say anything."_

_Paige breathed a huge sigh of relief and stepped beside Dani, smiling at her reassuringly as they made their way to class._

_**88888**  
_

_"Mind if I ask you something?" Paige asked timidly as she and Dani made their way to school while wheeling their bikes beside them. She didn't know who else to talk to about what was bothering her lately._

_Dani shrugged. "As long as it doesn't involve history, you can ask me anything." She said, looking at Paige curiously._

_"It might be weird." Paige said, hesitating._

_"P, come on, you can't ask me if you can ask something and then not ask it. Are you trying to drive me crazy?" Dani said as they stopped in front of Rosewood High to lock their bikes._

_Paige sighed before asking. "How did you know that you liked me?" She asked in one quick breath. "I'm sorry. It's weird right? Definitely pushing that whole best friends even if you like me thing. I shouldn't have asked, forget I asked." She said, backpedaling._

_Dani stopped locking her bike and looked up at Paige, smiling while shaking her head. "It's fine Paige. Seriously. You've been so cool all this time about me liking you. I'm just glad it didn't put a damper on our friendship." She admitted. "As for me knowing, I can't really say when it started. But how I knew, I guess I just started noticing everything you do. Being around you made my heart start pounding and there were like butterflies in my stomach, my palms started sweating and I started getting conscious whenever you were near me. Why do you ask?" Dani asked, curious._

_Just then, a group of girls walked past them and Dani noticed the sudden change in Paige's posture. She followed Paige's eyes and saw her staring intently at one of the girls. The girl had long raven-black hair and she could tell it was silky-smooth just from the way it swayed as she walked. She had an air of confidence around her and her smile radiated her happiness. The girl was breathtakingly beautiful and from the way Paige was ogling her, she wasn't the only one who noticed. Paige was in big trouble._

_"Paige. Emily Fields? Please tell me you're not in love with Emily Fields." Dani said, her voice never betraying the hurt Paige saw she felt._

_Paige knew it wasn't easy for Dani to realize that when she said she didn't feel the same way about her, it wasn't because she wasn't into girls. It was because Paige only had her eyes on one girl. Paige briefly took her eyes off Emily and looked at Dani. "I'm not in love with Emily." She said, extremely flustered as she bent over and struggled to lock her bike as well. She couldn't seem to stop her hands from shaking and her face was so flushed she could feel the heat radiating from it._

_Dani didn't believe a word Paige just said. "Yes you are and you're in big trouble because this isn't just some crush."_

_"Keep your voice down!" Paige said while looking around to see if anyone heard what Dani said, extremely terrified._

_Dani whispered frantically. "You're going to get hurt. She's straight. And even if she's not, she won't give you the time of day. I'm sorry P but you don't stand a chance with someone like her. She's way out of your league."_

_Paige shrugged before standing up, finally regaining control of her movements. "It's not a big deal. It's going to go away eventually. It's just a crush." She said, trying to dismiss the whole idea before making her way to the school entrance. But she knew that Dani was worried about her. They both know she was lying._

_**88888**  
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_"What's so important you can't wait until morning to tell me?" Dani asked curiously once Paige closed Dani's bedroom door behind her._

_Paige called Dani and asked if she could come over despite how late it was. She had good news and she couldn't wait to share it with her best friend. Dani was probably startled by the happiness in Paige's voice so she decided to let Paige stop by._

_Paige smiled at her widely before blurting out her news. "Emily's my girlfriend." She said, barely able to contain the happiness she felt saying those words out loud._

_She noticed Dani swallow hard and bite her lower lip to keep herself from crying, forcing herself to smile instead. Paige suddenly felt guilty. She always seems to forget that Dani liked her. "Wow. That **is** good news. I guess you're finally out?" Dani asked, genuinely happy that her best friend was finally taking a step towards coming out of the closet._

_Paige's smile faltered and she shook her head. "No. I came out but only to Emily. And I guess to you. But not to everyone else." She realized the meaning of those words and looked at her hands. "I'm going to lose her." She said, suddenly scared._

_"You don't know that. Emily gets it. She's been there." Dani said, comforting Paige. "She knows how terrifying it is so she's going to wait until you're ready."_

_Paige shook her head. "What if she can't wait? The only reason she even noticed me was because Maya is gone. But what if she comes back? And even if she doesn't there are other girls out there who could give her what she needs." She said, starting to doubt the kiss that just happened that night in Emily's room._

_Dani touched her arm lightly. "You'll find the courage to come out for her. I know how you've struggled to deny how you really feel about her all these years. She just has to be patient." She said, trying to bolster Paige's confidence. "Paige, she doesn't know how lucky she is." She said softly, trying to hide the pain and jealousy she was feeling but Paige knew it was there._

_**88888**  
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_Paige watched as Emily heeded her advice and began to play the role of the hostess of the party once again. She shook her head and smiled giddily. She was still reeling from the conversation they just had that she didn't notice until the girl was standing right in front of her, blocking her view of Emily._

_"We haven't officially met. I'm Maya St. Germain. Emily's girlfriend. You're Paige, right?" Maya said, extending a hand for Paige to take._

_"Yeah." Paige said hesitantly as she shook the girl's hand._

_"I figured it out." Maya said when she released her grip on Paige's hand._

_Paige looked at her, confused. "Figured what out?" She asked, reminding herself to keep her cool. **Don't let her get a rise out of you.**_

_"Why Emily won't leave Rosewood with me. It's because of you." She said, her disdain evident in her voice._

_"Excuse me?" Paige asked, still confused. **What the hell is her problem?**_

_"She's in love with you." Maya said nonchalantly. "She doesn't know it yet and you probably don't too. But she is."_

_Paige snorted. **Is she high?** "You're kidding, right? Emily isn't in love with me. If she didn't want to leave with you I'm not the reason." Paige said, starting to get mad. "But while we're on the subject, honestly, I think you're being selfish for trying to take Emily away from a stable life."_

_"Please. It's called being adventurous. You should try it sometime since you're obviously so uptight." Maya said, eyeing Paige up and down while smirking._

_Paige studied Maya for a moment and realized something. "Are you high? Did you actually come to this party high?" Paige asked urgently in disbelief. Emily deserved so much better._

_Maya brought a finger to her lips and made a shushing sound. "I won't tell if you won't." She said, winking at her conspiratorially. "Listen. Just back off my girl, Paige. I may be offering her an 'unstable life' as you like to call it, but let's be real; **you** in itself are unstable so tell me, which of us is really bad for Em?" Maya asked, sneering at Paige. "She always comes back to me. Doesn't that tell you everything you need to know? You're not good enough. You never will be."_

_Paige felt herself losing control at those words she fought so hard not to think about. Hearing it from the girl who Emily always comes back to made her explode. "Take that back!" She said, trying to contain her rage._

_"Ooh. Struck a chord didn't I?" Maya said, laughing gleefully. "Hearing the truth does hurt doesn't it? Careful Paige, you're showing just how unstable you are."_

_Before Paige could respond, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Dani staring at her worriedly. "What's going on here?" She asked, eyeing Maya carefully. "You've said your piece so I suggest you walk away before I let Paige loose on you." Dani advised Maya with quiet authority. Maya glared at them one last time before walking away._

_Dani finally faced Paige, her worry still evident in her features. At this, Paige smiled faintly. "I'm fine." She said, taking a deep breath. "Promise me you won't tell Emily about what you saw." She pleaded._

_"She has to know." Dani argued. "Paige, Maya is horrible. How can Emily be in a relationship with someone like that?" She asked, shaking her head._

_"Emily chooses to see the good in everyone. That's why she forgave me and gave me another chance. That's one of the reasons I love her so much." Paige said quietly._

_Dani looked at her quizzically. "About that. What exactly are you waiting for? You already came out to your parents. Why didn't you tell Emily about it? I mean, that's the reason you two broke up in the first place. Now that that's out of the way, what's holding you back?" She asked gently._

_"The timing isn't right. She's with Maya and as horrible as that girl is to me, Emily loves her. I don't want to be a burden to her and confess my feelings when she's with someone. I can wait." Paige said, making her way to the door leading to outside the house. She didn't feel like sticking around anymore. She's had enough fun for one night._

_Dani followed close behind, stopping her when they were finally outside. She forced Paige to look at her. "Hey." She said, tugging Paige's arm to stop her._

_More than anyone, Dani knew how hard it was for Paige to stand by and watch as Emily moved on with her life with someone else. "I just can't stand to see you so unhappy Paige. Sometimes I can't help but wish that you'd just stop pursuing someone who is clearly running away from you. I wish you'd stop looking at her just for a second and finally look at me." Paige heard a sob escape from Dani's lips but before she could react, Dani was running away from her._

_**88888**  
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_"Why did you tell her?" Paige asked angrily as she slammed the door of Dani's room. Her best friend looked up from what she was doing on her desk and stood up carefully. "I asked you not to breathe a word of that confrontation I had with Maya. Why did you have to go and tell her?"_

_"I did you a favor." Dani said, refusing to apologize for telling Emily that Paige was keeping something from her all this time._

_"A favor?!" Paige said incredulously. "Stop meddling with my relationship with Emily. That would be a favor." She said, barely controlling the rage she was feeling. Paige took a deep breath to calm down. "Maya's dead Dani. I didn't want to tarnish Emily's memory of her." She said quietly._

_"You are so blinded by the love you have for her that you refuse to see the truth. Paige, Emily has always taken you for granted." Dani explained gently. "You're my best friend. I've known you for years. So don't think you can fool me. I know how terrified you are that Emily will end things with you again one of these days and I can't take it seeing you so heartbroken again." She said, trying to close the distance between them._

_"I appreciate your concern Dani. But like I said, she's dead." Paige said firmly, finally sitting down on her best friend's bed._

_"Maya may be dead but her memory still haunts you. You **finally** got the girl yet Maya's still a gigantic part of your relationship with Emily somehow and I can see how you're struggling to be there for Emily despite of it." Dani said quietly._

_Paige stood up once again, shaking her head. "So what? You thought if Emily found out how horrible Maya was to me she would finally forget her?" She asked incredulously. "Dani, I am **fine**. I can take care of myself. If Emily needs to grieve for Maya then I will be there for her until she finally lets herself be happy again. Why do you have to keep meddling?"_

_"Why?! Because I am **in love** with you Paige!" Dani answered, her voice betraying her hurt and frustration. "After all these years, I am still in love with you. But you are too hung up on someone who doesn't even know your worth to even notice me." She said quietly. "So I have to stand by and watch as Emily breaks your heart repeatedly because for some reason she can't seem to make up her mind about her feelings for you. Meanwhile, being the best friend that I am, I have to hold back my feelings and be a friend for you instead every… single… time." Dani said brokenly, finally letting the tears fall._

_Paige looked at Dani sadly, realizing for the first time how much her friend was suffering because they both chose to ignore Dani's feelings for her all these years. "If it hurts you this much to see me with Emily then maybe we shouldn't be friends anymore." She said, swallowing hard. She didn't know how else to make things right between them. They weren't kids anymore. They can't just sweep under the rug Dani's feelings for her and pretend it was just a harmless crush._

_Dani laughed bitterly. "Just like that, you're ending our friendship." She said, not bothering to hide the hurt and anger she was feeling. "You're ending our friendship because of **some** **girl**?!"_

_Paige fought the urge to lash out at Dani knowing how heartbroken her best friend was. "Emily isn't some girl. I think you know that." She said quietly._

_Dani shook her head bitterly and turned her back to Paige. "You know your way out." She said quietly. "Shut the door when you leave."_

_Paige looked at her best friend one last time before heading out the door. "I'm so sorry Dani." She said remorsefully, not knowing what else to say._

_**88888**  
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_"I feel silly." Paige said, refusing to participate in Dani's idea._

_They were sitting across each other in the dining table in their apartment at the Hamptons, a modest dinner spread between them. It was Thanksgiving and Dani said they should go around the table saying what they are thankful for. Paige adamantly refused to participate, saying the term 'going around the table' lost its meaning when it was just the two of them sitting in front of dinner._

_"Come on. I'll go first." Dani said, gamely clearing her throat. "I am thankful that I got you back as my best friend. For a while there I really thought we were done." She smiled faintly. "I'm thankful that we are on our way to being the best of friends again. Weirdly, I am also thankful that we didn't try to become something more because things are the way they're supposed to be." Dani raises her glass of apple cider to Paige and smiled sincerely. "Here's to hoping nothing changes between us. Friends forever is better." She said before taking a sip of her drink. "Your turn." Dani said to Paige, looking at her expectantly._

_"Fine." Paige sighed. "Well, for starters, I am thankful for your presence in my life Danielle York. Just when I thought I had no one, these past few months you've reminded me that I could always count on you." She smiled faintly. "But I have to contradict what you just said about change. Because I am thankful that your presence reminded me as well that sometimes change can be a good thing too." Paige said as she took a sip from her glass of apple cider and studied Dani thoughtfully._

_**88888**  
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_"Hands down, best non-date Valentine's date **ever**." Dani said, laughing hysterically as she and Paige enter the apartment they were staying at in the Hamptons._

_Paige shook her head wryly and supported Dani as they made their way to the couch. "I think somebody ate too many liquor-filled chocolates tonight." Paige teased. "You should have stopped at one. I didn't know you had such a low tolerance for alcohol." She said slightly amused as she gingerly lowered Dani on the couch._

_Dani looked up at her best friend and grinned. "**Those** were delicious. Best part of the night!" Dani exclaimed, raising her right hand for a high five from Paige._

_Paige rolled her eyes and ignored Dani's hand, gently pushing her best friend to settle on the couch instead. She didn't have the strength to carry Dani to bed. She went to their room to get a pillow and a comforter and returned to see Dani lying on her side with her eyes closed, facing the hearth. She carefully lifted Dani's head off the armrest to slip the pillow underneath her head, and then unfolded the comforter to cover Dani's body, gently brushing a few strands of hair that made its way to Dani's face. She watched as the fire from the hearth played across Dani's features and felt her heart skip a beat. It's been a while since she felt that way. She was distracted when she heard Dani speak sleepily without opening her eyes._

_"I'm sorry you're in so much pain right now Paige. I wish I could do something to make you smile again." Dani said softly before finally falling asleep._

_Paige was touched by Dani's words and felt herself smile. She sat on one of the couches and decided to watch her best friend for a while longer. "Don't worry so much about me Dani. I'm getting there." She whispered sincerely._

* * *

Emily was almost done chopping the onions for the risotto she was going to cook when she was distracted by someone's urgent knocking on the front door. "Just a sec!" She shouted as she put down the knife on the cutting board and quickly washed her hands on the kitchen sink before checking to see who it was.

She peered on the eyehole before opening the door and tried to hide the surprise in her voice. "Tara." Emily said, staring in confusion at the girl standing on her porch.

Tara looked at her sheepishly. "Heeey Emily. Listen, I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now but I kinda really need your help." She said hesitantly.

"About?" Emily asked, still confused.

"Food. Cooking. Food _and_ cooking." Tara explained, seemingly embarrassed about the whole idea. "I remember in one of our conversations you said you took lessons for Paige a few years ago... and then you showed me this book you had of recipes…" She began, trying to jog Emily's memory.

Recollection finally dawned on Emily's features. "The one that was released for a limited edition my mom gave me after she got the author to sign it. Yeah. You said you wanted to try cooking some of the recipes in there someday." She said, remembering their conversation.

Tara gave her a relieved smile. "Good. You remembered. So. Yeah. That's why I'm here. I was kinda wondering if I could borrow it today? I promise I'll return it the day after tomorrow." She said hurriedly. "It's just I can't find anything decent on the internet especially when I don't even know what to look for and I really need to prepare something awesome." Tara admitted nervously.

"For?" Emily asked, intrigued.

Tara rolled her eyes. "Remember my family? The parents who practically fawn all over my sister just for breathing while I can't seem to impress them no matter what I do?" She asked resignedly.

"They're coming over?" Emily asked, surprised. She knew how much that meant to Tara.

Tara nodded. "Yeah. I, well my sister actually, finally convinced them to visit tomorrow so I want dinner to go really well." She said, fidgeting with her hands nervously. "So can you help me? Please?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, come on in." Emily answered, finally opening the door wider to let Tara in. "What's the occasion anyway?" She asked as she led the way towards the kitchen.

Tara chuckled in amusement, making Emily look at her in confusion. "I'm sorry." She said, the amusement still evident in her voice. "I don't know which is sadder, that you know that the only reason my parents are coming to see me is that there's an occasion or that you're right." She said, giving Emily a small smile as she fell into step beside the girl. "My sister got engaged." Tara finally answered.

"Your sister's getting married?" Emily said in surprise as she and Tara enter the kitchen.

"Yep. The guy finally popped the question and my sister thought it would be a good opportunity for me and my parents to spend time so she convinced them to come over instead of eating out to celebrate." Tara said as she sat on one of the chairs around the kitchen table.

"Wow." Emily said, taking the news in.

"I know. That's why I'm seriously freaking out right now. I want dinner to go well for my sister." Tara admitted. "So please tell me I can borrow the book?" She pleaded.

"Actually, I'm using it right now." Emily said, lifting the book to show it to Tara.

"Oh." Tara said, disappointed.

"But you can borrow it after." Emily hurriedly assured her, making Tara sigh in relief. "Although you might have to wait." She added.

Tara shook her head dismissively. "I don't mind waiting for it." She said honestly. "But are you sure you won't mind if I stuck around, watched you cook, maybe pick up a few tips? 'Cause if not I could just come back for it later." Tara offered.

Emily shook her head. "It's fine." She said reassuringly.

Tara smiled. "Okay. I guess I'll just wait right here for the book." She said as Emily resumed chopping the onions in front of her. "Hey. Maybe I could just copy the ones I need. I'll read to you the names of the recipes in the book and you tell me if it's good. If it is then I'll copy it. That way I won't have to borrow the entire thing and it'll help me pass the time instead." She suggested.

Emily transferred the chopped onions in a bowl before looking at her. "Are you sure? I really don't mind lending it to you." She said as she rinsed the knife and cutting board.

"Yeah but what am I supposed to do while you cook?" Tara asked distractedly as she played with a wooden spatula. "Come on. It's fine. Show me where I can get a pen and paper." She volunteered.

"Tara you don't need to copy everything. If you really want to have a rough draft of a menu now, just read to me the names and if it's good list the name of the recipe. You can take the book with you and find the recipe later." Emily advised as she started to prepare the mushrooms.

Tara dropped the spatula and stood up. "Okay then, I'll just make a list on my phone. What are you making anyway?" She asked as she moved to take out her phone from the front pocket of her jeans.

"Wild mushroom risotto." Emily answered as she checked for something in the cookbook.

Tara immediately sat down again, suddenly forgetting what she was about to do. "Ooh, I've always wanted to learn how to make one of those. Can I help?" She asked eagerly.

Emily looked up at her in mild surprise. "Sure. Here. You can chop these." She said as she slid the knife and the cutting board with the wild mushrooms on it.

Tara carefully took the knife from Emily and began chopping. She cleared her throat after a beat. "Uh, listen, since I'm here, I want to apologize. About the whole parking lot incident." She began, stopping what she was doing to meet Emily's gaze. "It's been a while since I talked to you so I never had the chance to apologize properly. Kinda want to do that face to face rather than texting or calling. You have to know I will never breathe a word of the kiss to anyone." Tara said pleadingly.

Emily shook her head. "It's okay. Apology accepted. I told Paige about everything yesterday so; you don't have to keep worrying about breaking your promise. You're off the hook." She said as she began perusing the cookbook.

"Oh. How'd it go?" Tara asked, concerned.

Emily sighed. "She was angry of course; there was some yelling, some crying, in the end even if we talked about everything we officially broke up." Emily admitted, feeling herself starting to tear up. She bit her lower lip. She was trying so hard not to think about their breakup all day.

Tara tried catching Emily's eyes but she wouldn't look at her. "But you guys are still talking right? Trying to get back to being friends and all that?" She asked gently.

"Paige and I never really hit it off with the whole just being friends thing." Emily reluctantly admitted, finally looking at Tara. "I mean, we said we were because we're not _more_. And for a while we tried but then something would happen and it would make us realize that we're not..." She said, unable to finish her train of thought.

"So basically the feelings got in the way." Once again, Tara summarized perfectly everything Emily just said.

Emily nodded her head. "Yeah. But now that she's trying to figure things out with Dani, I don't know, maybe we could try. I still want to be a part of her life." She confessed.

"Wow. That sounds extremely mature of you." Tara said, impressed. "One question though. Who's Dani?" She asked curiously.

Emily heaved a sigh. "Her best friend. Probably her girlfriend as of last night." She said as she resumed looking at the recipes on the cookbook.

"Well that must suck for you." Tara stated, starting to chop the mushrooms once again. "I mean it's hard enough having to compete for someone's affections. But add to that a history between the person you're in love with and the person you're competing with and there's bound to be some serious heartbreak."

_Ouch_. Tara always managed to put into words what Emily couldn't. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. Emily closed the cookbook and looked at Tara. "We don't really have to talk about what happened with Paige. I mean, you and I dated briefly and the reason we broke up is because of my feelings for Paige. So we don't really have to do this." She said, hoping Tara will take the hint.

Tara shrugged. "It's fine. I unknowingly steered the conversation to that when I apologized for the parking lot thing. But yeah, I'm all for talking about other less depressing stuff." She agreed, finally looking at her. "And don't worry; I'm not going to ask if we can get back together. My reason for coming over remains the same. I'm just here for the cookbook." She stated.

"And the mushrooms." Emily reminded her, gesturing at the chopping board.

Tara took a look at what she has done so far and felt herself getting embarrassed. "Yeah. About that. I'm so sorry. I forgot to tell you that I have like, zero knife skills." She said, cringing.

Emily smiled consolingly. "It's not that bad. Here let me show you." She said, taking the knife and cutting board.

Tara watched as Emily chopped the mushrooms effortlessly. "Showoff." She said lightly, rolling her eyes. "You're making me rethink about taking cooking lessons someday. _Almost_. My family will just have to deal with unevenly cut food tomorrow night." She stated, taking the cookbook and starting to look at the recipes herself.

"I'm terrified for your family." Emily said, mock seriously.

"What?" Tara said, refusing to make a big deal out of her lack of culinary skills. "It's going to taste good once they close their eyes when they eat it. Kinda like one of those dining in the dark restaurants." She said dismissively.

"Tara, if that's the only way you can make them eat your food you need a crash course in knife skills." Emily said, shaking her head.

"Nah, I'll try to learn what I can tonight and maybe until tomorrow morning after I decide what to cook for them." Tara said nonchalantly. "But I'm really just doing this for my sister and she knows I'm no chef so no pressure there. I just want to make sure the night goes well for her."

Emily studied Tara for a moment. "You know, I almost forgot why I liked hanging out with you." She admitted as she transferred the mushrooms in a bowl.

"_Liked_? First of all, ouch." Tara said, giving Emily a smirk. "But I can't say I blame you though. I think you liked spending time with me up until I kissed you on your front porch on your birthday." She guessed.

"Yeah, before that." Emily admitted. "You never cared how people saw you. You just did your own thing."

Tara waved her hand dismissively. "You know, for some people, like my parents, they actually tell me I'm an underachiever because of that. But I figured this is me, deal with it. I don't aim to please. Not trying to impress other people gets a load off my back. I'm fine with the way I am. So I guess because I saw myself that way, when it came to other people, I'm fine with who they are as well. No need to change for me or anything." She said, smiling at Emily.

"I know. I think that's one of the reasons why I started spending time with you. It's easier." Emily said, turning on the stove and pouring olive oil into the pan.

"Even when you and I hung out in secret?" Tara asked, handing the wooden spatula to Emily.

Emily took it and gave her an apologetic look. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that."

"Come on. That's in the past. It's cool." Tara said reassuringly. "Like I said, I got why you didn't want anyone to know. And besides, you introduced me to your friends eventually and that meant a lot to me. I know it may not seem like it but we _are_ still friends Emily. We can still hang out if it gets too much for you again, even if it's in secret. And if you ever need a favor, just ask." She said sincerely.

Emily gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks but right now I think you're the one who needs a favor. Those mushrooms look like road kill." She said, pointing at the mushrooms Tara tried chopping.

"What? What happened to _it's not that bad_?" Tara asked incredulously. "That's it, I'm buying takeout for them tomorrow night." She said, resigned.

Emily grinned. "I'm kidding. Maybe." She teased, earning a look of mock indignation from Tara. "Remind me to teach you a few simple knife skills after I finish this risotto."

Tara breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Oh thank god. You're such a lifesaver. I owe you big time."

"Actually I think your family owes me." Emily said as she sautéed the onions and mushrooms.

"I will them that. Maybe they can send you a card for Christmas." Tara said as she handed the white wine and rice to Emily.

"That's fine. Just make sure there's cash inside." Emily said jokingly.

"Deal. You get the cash, I get the card." Tara said nonchalantly, nodding her head.

"Are they really that awful to you?" Emily asked gently, the light mood in the room suddenly gone.

"Worse." Tara admitted. "I feel like I'm adopted. It's like they don't see me. My sister's the perfect one and I'm just the shadow. If she shines too bright I practically don't exist." She said, trying to give Emily a small smile.

"Then I think it's big of you to take the high road and that you don't blame your sister for how they've always treated you." Emily said sincerely.

"Are you kidding? I love her. It's not her fault my parents favor her over me. She _really_ is awesome. I don't have any grudges against her." Tara said frankly. "But back then, before I stopped trying, there wasn't a moment that I wished my parents could see that I'm awesome in my own way too." She admitted sadly.

"Is that why you stopped trying for everyone else?" Emily asked gently.

Tara nodded her head. "Yeah. I know it's weird. Some people feel the need to change just to be worthy of other people's affections. But not me. After some time you get tired of trying especially when someone makes you feel that you're good enough the way you are. That's what my sister did for me. She made me realize that not everyone sees me as a failure. So I figured if someone can accept me the way I am, then that's the person I want to be around with." She said firmly.

"I don't think I can do that. Stop trying." Emily admitted.

Tara shrugged. "It's not too late to try. You just have to want it more than wanting to change for others." She said offhandedly as she went back to looking at the recipes in the book once again.

* * *

_Paige concentrated as she ran her usual course in the woods, the rhythmic pounding of her feet on the ground the only noise she heard aside from her breathing. She was setting a new record. She could feel it. She rounded a corner and leapt over a root protruding from one of the trees, the ruggedness of the trail committed to memory. There was another root a few meters ahead. It was tricky. If she didn't leap at the right moment, her foot would be caught underneath it. She focused intently. Not long now. There. She was about to leap when she heard a lyrical laughter somewhere in the woods, making her take her eyes off the trail in an effort to see where the sound came from. The next thing she knew, she was flying in the air, landing face down on the dirt. She missed the leap. She turned over on her back, the movement causing her head to pound and her entire body to ache. She touched the side of her head and felt something wet. She was bleeding. She tried to sit up but was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea. She couldn't get up. She tried to open her mouth to call for help but she was too weak._

_Just when she thought she was going to lose consciousness, she saw someone approach her. The girl had long, raven-black hair and when she moved to gingerly cradle Paige's head, Paige felt the girl's silken hair barely brush against her face. She looked at the girl's face and saw the worry etched on it. She took a deep breath and instantly smelled vanilla and strawberry. She knew things were bad, but she felt comforted. She wanted to reach out and touch the girl, fearing she was dreaming. She lifted her hand to see if the girl was real but at the last minute she caught herself and instead touched her head once again. She suddenly felt embarrassed. She knew she was bleeding all over the raven-haired beauty above her._

_Suddenly, she was made aware that they weren't alone. Her friends came over to see what happened and the girl asked them to get help. They left except for a blonde girl. The girl was looking at her with open disgust and she felt ashamed because she could tell that somehow the girl knew. She didn't know how but the girl knew Paige was falling in love with the stunning girl staring at her worriedly. Paige tried to apologize but she still didn't have the energy to talk. She was fast losing consciousness but knowing the girl was there made it seem like everything was going to be fine._

_Before she lost consciousness she heard the blonde girl call the raven-haired girl by her name. "She's bleeding all over you Emily. That's so gross. Such a klutz." **Emily**. Paige grew up thinking the world is an ugly place. Never thinking or seeing things as beautiful. But in that moment, she finally saw something wonderful. Emily took her breath away. She finally succumbed to the darkness that overcame her but not before feeling terrified that she found the one she wanted to be with, knowing when she woke up, she would have to search for her all over again._

_**88888**  
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_Paige emerged from the table where the drinks were lined up, breathing a huge sigh of relief when she escaped the huge crowd cramming to get their drinks as well. She held the cup of beer in one hand, careful not to spill the drink she painstakingly poured just moments ago. She was on her way to the living room when she saw a glimpse of Emily making her way to the table she just came from. Without a second thought, she went to the kitchen sink and inconspicuously poured the drink down the drain before throwing away the cup in the nearest wastebasket. She took a deep breath and made her way to the table once again, standing beside Emily._

_"Paige!" Emily said, smiling at her warmly._

_Paige felt her heart pounding wildly and she smiled back. "Fancy meeting you here." She said in an attempt to make a joke. **So far, so good**._

_Emily looked at her quizzically. "Wow. You must be really thirsty." She said, smiling teasingly._

_"What makes you say that?" Paige asked, confused._

_Emily smiled widely. "I just saw you emerge with a drink on your hand and now you're back for seconds. Either you're really thirsty or really clumsy. Which is it?" She asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement._

_Paige felt herself getting flustered. Emily saw her. **Kill me now**. "Uh, really thirsty." She said, lying through her teeth._

_Emily giggled while shaking her head. "You know." She whispered conspiratorially, forcing Paige to move closer to her so that she could hear what Emily had to say. Paige swore Emily could hear the hammering of her heart and was grateful Emily didn't say anything about it._

_"You don't have to waste beer just to have an excuse to talk to me." Emily said, smiling at Paige once again before pulling away from her slightly, licking her lips while tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear._

_**Ugh, you are going to be the death of me. Why do you have to be so freaking hot? This is so not fair**. Paige found Emily's actions so sexy she swallowed hard and tucked her hands on the front pocket of her jeans, scared that she might reach out and kiss Emily right there and then._

_**Say something**. "Busted." Paige said, finally admitting defeat. "I just wasn't sure you wanted to talk to me after that whole Samara thing." She said quietly._

_Emily shook her head dismissively. "That's all in the past." She said as they moved nearer the drinks. "So, are you having fun?" Emily asked, smiling earnestly._

_**I am now**. Paige nodded her head. "Yeah. Thanks for inviting me." She said as they saw an opening near the table and they each grabbed a cup, filling it with beer._

_"Are you kidding me? This party is for the swim team. It was because of you that we won." Emily said as they started to make their way to a corner of the room._

_"Nah. Team effort all the way." Paige said, refusing to take credit for their team's win._

_"So I gotta ask. Why aren't you mingling?" Emily asked curiously._

_Paige threw the question back at her. "Why aren't **you**?" She asked, amused._

_"What are you talking about?" Emily asked, smiling shyly at her. "I'm mingling with you."_

_**Please tell me this isn't a dream**. Paige grinned. "And I with you. So far it's been a blast." Paige said, not quite believing what was happening right then. **Are we flirting?**_

_Emily shook her head and laughed. "Thanks for coming." She said sincerely._

_**Well I really wanted to see you so…** "Not a big deal. Team spirit right?" Paige said offhandedly, trying to appear relaxed._

_"Yeah, but nobody likes a wallflower at these kinds of things." Emily said, watching Paige as she took a sip of her drink._

_"I'm not really into the whole trying to make conversation stuff. Dani's the only one I'm good with that. And you." Paige admitted._

_"Who's Dani?" Emily asked curiously._

_"She's my best friend." Paige said, looking around. Dani was supposed to come to the party as her plus one but she was running late. She scanned the crowd and her eyes fell on Maya who was shooting death glares her way. **Emily's girlfriend**. She cleared her throat before speaking. "You know, I'm **pretty** sure the host at these kinds of things should circulate and so far I've been monopolizing you." She said to Emily, not wanting to cause trouble between her and Maya._

_Emily shrugged. "I don't mind. I've circulated enough." She said, turning her back to Maya completely and facing Paige. An action which only fueled Maya's glares. **Not good**._

_"Still, it wouldn't hurt if you circulated so your girlfriend right over there would stop trying to make my head explode just by sheer will." Paige finally admitted._

_Emily looked at Maya briefly and gave her a small wave before turning to face Paige once again. "Maya's cool with us being friends." She said, completely oblivious to the glares Maya were sending her way again._

_**I'm going to regret this later. And by later I mean now**. "Maybe so, but we shouldn't push it. Go on, circulate!" Paige said, hiding the disappointment of having to end their time together._

_Emily rolled her eyes and laughed again, her eyes twinkling. "Fine! But mark my words McCullers, sooner or later I'll find my way back to you again." She said before disappearing into the crowd._

_Paige smiled to herself. "I'll be waiting." She whispered softly._

_**88888**  
_

_"Hey dad. Mind if I ask you something?" Paige asked as she and her father were docking the boat, her eyes falling on the boat's name._

_"Shoot." Nick said as he straightened up, looking at his daughter._

_"Kismet. What does it mean?" Paige asked, nodding her head towards the name._

_"Well, it means fate or destiny." Nick said as he moved to stand beside his daughter. "I thought of it when I met your mom."_

_"So how did you know she's the one?" Paige asked, lost in her own thoughts._

_Nick smiled. "For me it was when everything went wrong on our first date." He answered, shaking his head. "I've been meaning to ask out your mom but I didn't have the courage to do so. When I finally did and she said yes I promised myself I would make sure the night would be perfect. But unfortunately everything was ruined. My car overheated, there was no cell service, then it started raining and before you start thinking it's romantic, no, it wasn't because it wasn't just a drizzle. It was a massive downpour." He said, chuckling. "And then I forgot the keys inside the car so we couldn't get in. I thought I ruined my one chance but then your mom started laughing and thanked me saying that moment was perfect. She admitted that she loved those scenes in the movies where people in love get caught in the rain and said that night I made it come true." He laughed at the memory. "It was that second that I believed in such a thing. That the universe conspired to bring us together in that moment. That moment when everything was going wrong but you know you're with the one who made everything feel right." He looked at Paige and smiled. "How did **you** know?"_

_"Wha- what?" Paige stammered, extremely flustered, knowing her cheeks were turning red._

_"That Emily's the one." Her father asked encouragingly._

_"Uh, summer of 8th grade. I was running in the woods when I was distracted by her laugh and I tripped and fell. The next thing I know she was cradling my head on her lap and I was bleeding all over her." Paige said, smiling as well. "I knew I should have felt terrified because I was bleeding but she was there and somehow that thought comforted me."_

_Nick nodded thoughtfully. "For some people, they believe that there is no "one". That you choose to be with someone and eventually they become "the one". But for others, the hopeless romantics like me and you." Nick smiled quickly. "They choose to believe that such a person exists. And sometimes, no matter how long it takes, they still choose to search for them. Still, some people go through life never meeting "the one". Few people do. Like me and your mom. And you and Emily." He said quietly. "We are lucky to have found them. But **you** are even luckier that you met her so soon." He threw the keys of the boat to her. "She's yours." He said as he nodded to the direction of the boat._

_"Really?" Paige asked, pleasantly surprised._

_"Yeah. It's time. Happy Birthday honey." Nick said as he hugged his daughter tightly. "I'm glad you found her." He whispered sincerely._

_Paige hugged her father back tightly. "Thanks." She said when they broke apart. "I'll take good care of her." She promised._

_Nick nodded, knowing Paige wasn't just talking about the boat. "There's something you should understand though. I know how much you love Emily and sometimes you think I don't notice it but I can see you feel guilty about it." He began. "So I want to say this to you. Finding the one doesn't mean your love for us will diminish. It just means you found someone you love more than us. And I want you to remember that we will always love you. It doesn't change anything. We understand because we were there once too."_

_**88888**  
_

_"What are you doing?" Nick's curious voice behind her startled Paige, making her lose her balance and accidentally stoop on both knees. She cringed at the pain._

_"Nothing." She said, mumbling as she got up and rubbed her knees, her cheeks turning bright red._

_"That wasn't nothing. I just saw you proposing to the couch." Nick said as he approached his daughter. "I thought Emily was the one?" He asked teasingly._

_Paige rolled her eyes as she sat on the couch. "I was practicing." She finally admitted, embarrassed._

_"Paige, if you're embarrassed about taking this huge step in your relationship then you shouldn't be doing it." He said as he sat down beside Paige._

_"I'm not embarrassed." Paige said hurriedly. "I'm just, I don't exactly have friends I can talk to about this and you and mom, well mom, she loves Emily but you…" Paige let the sentence hang._

_"I love you. And I'm not blind. Since you've been with Emily you've become a better person. She inspires you to be one. And she makes you happy. That is all I want for you." He said reassuringly. "And Paige, it's hard not to love the girl who makes your daughter want to try. So come on, talk to me." Nick said, facing his daughter and nodding encouragingly._

_Paige took a deep breath. "Well I've been meaning to talk to you and mom about it actually." She admitted. "I know we're still young and we still have a few years before we graduate from college, but I'm ready to take the next step with her. I love her so much, dad and I can't wait to start forever with her. She's everything that is good and beautiful in this world and she makes me want to try. When all of my dreams come true, she's the one I want to share it with and when everything falls apart she's the one I want to come home to. She's everything." Paige said earnestly._

_Nick beamed at his daughter supportively. "Well you've convinced me. But what about her parents?" Nick inquired. "You can't ask Emily to marry you without getting her parents' blessing as well."_

_Paige nodded. "I know. I'm going to talk to her mom later and then I have a flight to catch in the afternoon." She admitted._

_Nick shook his head, smiling at his daughter. "Then I guess you have the in-laws covered. Let's see the ring." He said, one hand outstretched._

_"What?" Paige asked, slightly surprised._

_"The ring. You have a ring right? You can't propose without one." Nick said, his hand still outstretched._

_"Yeah." Paige said as she reluctantly produced a box from her pocket._

_"To my constant." Nick read out loud the inscription Paige had etched._

_"She's the only thing I am certain of in my life, dad. So I'm hoping she'll say yes." Paige said humbly._

_**88888**  
_

_"Paige. What a nice surprise. Emily isn't here." Pam Fields said as she opened the door on Paige's second knock._

_"I know Mrs. Fields. I actually came here to talk to you." Paige said nervously. "Here. These are for you." She said, handing her the daisies she bought before she came over._

_Pam smiled at her warmly before taking it. "Thank you. You never forget. Well come on in. What is it you want to talk to me about?" She asked as she made her way to the kitchen, looking for the vase she always used when Paige brought her flowers._

_"Uh, it's about Emily actually." Paige admitted._

_"What about her?" Pam asked as she turned her attention to Paige once again._

_Paige took a deep breath and got the box out of her jacket pocket, opening it before putting it on the countertop._

_"Oh." Pam said, genuinely surprised._

_"I love her so much and she's the best thing that has ever happened to me. I know we have this whole life ahead of us and that we are still young. That you want a lot of things for her in this life and Emily has dreams she wants to achieve. I promise she will fulfill those dreams. I will help her. I will support her. Emily brings out the best in me and accepts me at my worst. So please give me your blessing because I am ready to commit myself to her." Paige said solemnly._

_"What did her dad say?" Pam asked as she took the box to study the ring._

_"I, uh, actually have a flight to catch this afternoon. I'm going to talk to him as soon as I leave here." Paige admitted._

_"And your parents? What did they say?" Pam asked, looking at Paige thoughtfully._

_"I talked to them before I came over and they support me on my decision." She said confidently._

_Pam finally gave her a smile. "You already had everything planned. Why do I get the feeling that you've been thinking about this for some time now?" She said, finally putting down the box and looking at Paige intently. "How long have you been carrying that ring around?" She asked curiously._

_"Since Freshman year." Paige admitted shyly. "I've been so nervous to ask until now."_

_Pam nodded and closed the box, sliding it over to Paige. "Well you better hurry. You have a plane to catch." She said, smiling widely._

_Paige grinned and took the box. "Is that a yes?" She asked, terrified to hope._

_"It's a yes." Pam confirmed. "Good luck with my husband though."_

_"I know. That's why I saved him for last. Em's his little girl so I want to do it right." Paige said seriously._

_"You don't have to try so hard. It doesn't take much to see how much you love Emily." Pam said, standing up and hugging Paige tightly. "Welcome to the family."_

_**88888**  
_

_Paige forced herself to stop fidgeting as she sat in front of Wayne Fields in the living room of his home in Fort Hood. She felt Emily's dad's eyes on her as he shifted his gaze between Paige and the ring on the box Paige set in front of him._

_"Don't you think you're rushing into this thing? I mean, you and Emily haven't been together that long. What's the hurry?" Wayne asked thoughtfully._

_Paige swallowed hard before answering his question. She had to convince Emily's father to give his blessing. "I've been in love with your daughter for as long as I could remember and I've always known she's the one." She began. "I know we've had our starts and stops in the past but in spite of all of those times I never stopped believing that we would find our way back to each other again."_

_She spoke earnestly, looking Emily's father in the eye. "Out of everything that I have ever known, she is the only thing I am certain of in my life. Whatever happens, wherever life takes me, today, tomorrow, years from now, her presence in my life will never change. No words could ever describe how much I love your daughter and I know we're still young. We're still a few years away from graduation and we still have things we want to achieve in life. But I can't imagine anyone else other than Emily who I want beside me every step of the way." Paige said respectfully._

_"If she's the only thing you are certain of then you can put off asking her to marry you until you're both stable in every aspect of your lives. You said it yourself. Her presence in your life will never change. Waiting a few more years won't change a thing." Wayne said, leaning back on the couch to study Paige carefully._

_Paige smiled slightly. "Ever since I met her, I've been waiting." She admitted softly. "But there comes a moment in one's life that would make them realize that their wait has been over. That the time is finally right. For me, that moment came when Emily landed me in the hospital for food poisoning." She laughed at the look of surprise and confusion on Wayne's face. "I know it sounds weird but when she asked me to make a wish, that was the moment. I realized I couldn't think of any. Not because I stopped dreaming or wanting more for myself, but because she was there and everything else fails in comparison to who was sitting beside me. And more than anything, I realized I want to spend the rest of my life making all of hers come true." She confessed ardently._

_She cleared her throat. "Although I promise to give her what she needs, I can't promise that I could give her everything she wants when it comes to material things, but I will always try. I can't promise that it will always be smooth sailing between us because all relationships go through rough patches at some point. But I promise that I will never stop loving her. That she will wake up each morning knowing she is loved, and she would go to bed every night knowing tomorrow she will be loved more than she was that day. I will be her lover, her best friend, her enemy, her confidante. Whatever she needs. I will be her everything." Paige said, taking a deep breath. "You mean everything to Emily so I cannot do this without your blessing. That's why I'm asking. Please let me spend the rest of my life with Emily because I want to make her happy and she inspires me. I love her, and I am ready."_

_**88888**  
_

_"How was the trip?" Nick asked as soon as he hugged his daughter at the airport._

_Paige smiled widely. "It was good. For a while there I actually thought he would say no. But in the end he gave his blessing." She said as they made their way to the parking lot._

_"So when are you going to ask her?" He asked, grinning proudly._

_"This afternoon. After we get back from sailing. I have everything planned out." Paige answered as she got into the car, excited to get home to Rosewood. "Where's mom?"_

_"She wasn't feeling well so I told her to get some rest." Nick said as he started the drive home. "By the way, I have a surprise for you. Actually it's from me and your mom." He said, smiling mysteriously._

_"What is it?" Paige asked curiously._

_"You'll see when we get there." He answered, not saying anything more so as not to ruin the surprise._

_**88888**  
_

_"Now?" Paige asked for what felt like the hundredth time as she let her father guide her. She touched the blindfold over her eyes gingerly. "This is ridiculous."_

_"Not long now." Nick said reassuringly beside her as they took a few more steps. "Hey, no peeking." He said teasingly._

_"I'm not." Paige said, suddenly nervous about what her father wanted to show her._

_"Your mom and I decided to give you and Emily a sort of early engagement slash wedding present. This place is breathtaking at nighttime so it's a good thing that you arrived before the sun is up. But I have to tell you, this place is perfect just as well in the light of day." He said as they finally stopped._

_Paige took a deep breath and smelled the cool night air mixed with a hint of saltiness. "Are we at the marina?" Paige asked, confused._

_"Close." Nick said, finally taking the blindfold off Paige's eyes._

_Paige opened her eyes slowly and took in the view. They were at a bluff, the twinkling lights from below like stars on the ground beneath them and above, the stars from the night sky shining brightly. From a distance she could see as boats navigated the open waters._

_"Dad." She said, looking at her father in amazement. "Is this?" Paige asked, not willing to believe her eyes._

_"This land is yours." Nick said proudly. "So tell me, when you opened your eyes just now and took everything in, what was your first thought?" He asked eagerly._

_Paige grinned, still in shock. "It's breathtaking." She admitted as she took everything in. **Almost.**_

_"So who's missing?" Nick asked like he knew what his daughter was thinking._

_"Emily." Paige said, saying her name reverently._

_"Then go get her." Her father said, kissing her head lightly. "I'm so proud of you honey. You have come a long way."_

* * *

Slowly, Paige opened her eyes and took in the sight before her. It was nighttime. She didn't realize how late it had gotten and before she knew it the land her parents gave her was breathtaking once more. _Almost_.

_"Go get her."_ She heard her father's voice say.

Paige stood up and dusted the grass off her. She knew where she needed to go. She had always known. Trust was broken. But no one said it can't be restored. She'd rather find a way to restore that trust than walk away from Emily.

_It's always been you Em. So please wait for me_. Paige thought to herself as she got out her phone. _I just have to go somewhere first_.

* * *

"I can't thank you enough Emily. You are saving my family from a culinary disaster. I promise I'll return this the day after tomorrow." Tara said earnestly as she and Emily made their way towards Emily's front door.

"There's no rush Tara. You can just return it when we see each other at work." Emily said reassuringly.

"Okay then. I hope I won't disappoint you with the basic knife skills you taught me today, _sensei_." Tara said teasingly as she faced Emily, grinning widely as she brought her hands together in front of her and bowed in front of the girl.

Emily shook her head. "Will you stop calling me that?" She asked exasperatedly, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Aha. A smile. _Sensei_." Tara said again, wanting to make Emily smile.

"Stop it." Emily said, finally rewarding Tara with a grin.

Tara nodded her head, satisfied. "And my work here is almost done." She declared. "Seriously Emily. Thank you. I had a good time. I was just going to borrow this cookbook and I ended up spending the day with a friend. I kinda needed that considering what I'm about to deal with tomorrow. I miss hanging out with you." Tara admitted quietly.

"Me too. To be honest, I think I've been avoiding you because I was waiting until Paige came back so I can tell her about the kiss." Emily confessed. "I didn't want her to see us hanging out before I told her."

"But now that she does, do you still have to avoid me?" Tara asked anxiously.

Emily furrowed her brows. "I don't know. If you're going to embarrass me with your knife skills then yeah, I might have to." She said teasingly.

Tara looked at her in mock disbelief. "Wow. You drive a hard bargain. Fine, I promise I'll make you proud. Maybe I can bring you some leftovers, show you my julienned carrot. I can't promise it will be edible though." She warned.

"What? How can a julienned carrot be inedible?" Emily asked, confused.

"Well I might have to use a marker and ruler to slice it straight." Tara admitted, making Emily laugh.

"Oh my god you're hopeless!" Emily exclaimed. "Just, give me the book back. Never mind the leftovers."

"Come on! Where's your sense of adventure?" Tara asked mischievously.

Emily shook her head, still smiling. "In order to have one I need to be alive don't you think?" She asked as she took out her phone from the front pocket of her jeans.

Tara nodded her head. "Good point." She said as she moved to open the door. Emily wasn't paying her any attention. "Anyway, I better go. The sooner I get home the sooner I can start practicing." Tara said as she stepped outside. Still no reaction. "Okay. I guess I'll see you at work then." She said quietly before making her way towards the dark and empty street, giving up trying to catch Emily's attention.

"Tara wait." Emily said urgently as she caught up to Tara, grabbing the other girl's arm firmly, forcing Tara to turn around and face her with a confused look. "I had a good time too." She began. "You somehow found a way to make me smile again. Something I haven't been able to do since Paige came back. So I know it's sort of out of the blue but I gotta ask. Do you still like me that way?" Emily asked nervously.

Tara furrowed her brows. "That way meaning..." She said, not wanting to get ahead of herself.

"You know." Emily said timidly.

"Oh. Um. Do you want me to lie or something? I mean, what do you want to hear?" Tara asked uncertainly.

"The truth." Emily admitted.

Tara shrugged. "Well, yeah. I still like you that way. Kinda hard not to. But you said no, so... that's that." She said, letting Emily know that she wasn't planning on doing anything about her residual feelings for the other girl.

"But what if I said yes?" Emily suddenly blurted out, surprising the other girl.

Tara swallowed hard. "Uh, okay, what's going on? Are you feeling okay?" She asked, extremely confused.

"Remember that favor you said I could ask?" Emily asked quietly.

"Yeah." Tara answered slowly. "What about it?" She asked nervously.

"You think I could use it now?" Emily asked as she moved closer to Tara.

"For what?" Tara asked, her voice hoarse as she suddenly became aware that they were mere inches away from each other.

"For this." Emily said softly as she brought one hand to Tara's face and cupped it gently before leaning in to kiss her.

For a brief moment, Tara let herself get lost in the kiss before something Emily said made her pull away. _A favor_. "Whoa, Emily, what's going on?" She asked, hurt. "If this is some kind of joke it's not funny. You know how I feel about you. What changed?"

Before Emily could explain her actions to the devastated girl standing in front of her, she caught a movement behind Tara and she shifted her eyes to see what it was. "Paige." She said, bringing her hand to her mouth.

Tara looked at her in confusion. "No. Tara." She said, pointing to herself.

Emily shook her head, starting to panic. "Paige is here." She said, not bothering to look at the girl standing in front of her as she watched as Paige slowly made her way towards them.

Tara swallowed hard. "Oh." She said, not turning around. "Do you want me to leave?" She asked nervously. "I think I better leave." She decided.

Emily nodded wordlessly, never taking her eyes off Paige.

"Okay. Well, I will see you when you come in for work. Maybe by then you can tell me what just happened." Tara said before giving Emily a weird look. "Goodnight." She said before turning her back to Emily and coming face to face with Paige.

Emily tried to quell the dryness in her mouth and somehow found her voice. "Tara, Paige. Paige, Tara." She said, making the awkward introductions.

Paige ignored the hand Tara extended to her, refusing to take her eyes off Emily. "We've met." She said emotionlessly.

The meaning of those words didn't register to Emily as she looked at Tara, who lowered her hand, embarrassed, and turned to look one last time at Emily. "I guess that's my cue. I'll leave you two alone." She said apologetically before walking past Paige, her retreating back disappearing seconds later down the empty street.

Emily quickly turned her attention back to Paige, her mind racing, trying to find a way to explain what she just saw. "Paige, what are you doing here?" She asked, confused. "You shouldn't be here." Emily said, trying to make it sound like it was Paige's fault that she saw what Emily just did.

_Right place, wrong time. Right place, wrong time_. Paige stood for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. "What are you doing? Why are you with her? You said it didn't feel right. You said it was a mistake." Paige said, the pain and confusion evident in her voice.

"It was." Emily began. "But it's not that simple." She said, her heart pounding wildly.

"Yes it is." Paige said incredulously. "Either you were lying to me when you said it was a mistake or you weren't. So which is it?" She asked, her voice cracking.

Emily looked down and noticed what Paige was holding in her hand. Paige used to get her different flowers every day that they finally decided to look up the meanings of every flower just so Paige doesn't give her a flower with the wrong connotation. Paige was standing in front of her now, holding a yellow tulip. _Hopelessly in love_. With a sickening feeling, Emily realized why Paige was there and she couldn't bring herself to look Paige in the eye, knowing she was going to see the heartbreak she was feeling reflected in Paige's eyes. But she forced herself to look up anyway and what she saw in Paige's eyes was beyond the pain she felt. _Oh my god_.

"Paige…" Emily said, her voice breaking as tears welled from her eyes.


	9. Aftershock

**DISCLAIMER**: _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters = never mine. All characters in this fanfic except for maybe five belong to PLL. A few events in this fanfic were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. Since I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL, I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is all about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~I will never get tired of saying thanks to all your AWESOME, AWESOME reviews about the story! Again, sorry I only post one chapter each week.~**

**~This story's going to be done a few days before 3b starts so the chapters are going to be quite lengthy. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and following it.~**

**~_EyeOpener16:_ Thanks for the PM.~**

* * *

**Chapter 9:**** Afte****rshock**

_**"The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding."**_** – Albert Camus**

Paige couldn't get to Dani fast enough. She struggled to run faster, desperate to get as far away as possible from Emily. She was exhausted, her breathing ragged. She couldn't believe she had the stamina to run the distance from Emily's home to the motel. Emily's hurtful words reverberated in her mind continuously, fueling her desire to widen the distance between them. _I don't want to be with you_. She choked back a sob and almost lost her balance before she staggered in an effort to regain control of her steps. _Run_. _Keep running_. _Keep moving because if you stop_. Her steps faltered once more. _The world will start reeling_. _So run faster_. She forced herself to slow down when she finally caught sight of the motel sign and stopped to catch her breath, resting her hands on her knees and bending over to regulate her breathing. She was trembling so hard and she was breaking into cold sweats but she forced herself to gain control of her movements before making her way to the room she shared with Dani. _You're almost there_.

Her heart hammering, she opened the door and saw her best friend worriedly pacing around their room, one hand holding the phone near her ear. Once Dani heard the door open and close, she turned to look at it immediately, pocketing her phone before breathing a huge sigh of relief.

"Oh my god Paige I've been calling you for hours. Where have you been?!" Dani asked agitatedly.

_Dani_. She was always worried about Paige, always there for her. She was the only person she was able to count on when she thought she had no one ever since she left Rosewood. All these years Dani buried her feelings for her to be the friend Paige felt she didn't deserve. Dani patiently waited for her to finally notice how much she still loved Paige all these years. Dani will never hurt her like Emily did. Dani will keep her heart safe. _Dani. Dani. Dani. __**Emily**_. Paige shook her head, trying to will away thoughts of Emily. _Dani_.

Wordlessly, she walked towards Dani and hugged her tightly. She knew she was still trembling and she was sweaty from all the running she just did but Dani didn't seem to mind. Her best friend hugged her back closely.

"What's wrong?" Dani asked worriedly. "Paige, what happened?" She asked, extremely concerned as she stroked the back of her best friend's head in an effort to soothe her.

Trying to keep her voice from wavering, Paige clung tight to Dani, terrified that if she let go she was going to collapse from utter devastation. "I want to try." Paige whispered brokenly as tears flowed from her eyes freely. "I can't promise it will be easy but I want to try and be happy with you."

* * *

Emily didn't know how long she stood in front of her house motionless. It seemed that time stood still and when it finally started moving again, she found herself bending over to pick up the flower Paige brought for her earlier tonight. It was ruined. The anger and devastation Paige felt from the words Emily uttered to her just moments ago making her step on it before hastily running off like she couldn't get away from Emily fast enough. Choking back a sob, she turned to get inside her house as she crossed her arms and pulled them close to her chest in an attempt to comfort herself. She won the game. But instead of feeling victorious, she felt like her heart was just violently ripped out from her chest because at that moment she knew she just lost Paige forever.

* * *

_Emily quickly turned her attention back to Paige, her mind racing, trying to find a way to explain what she just saw. "Paige, what are you doing here?" She asked, confused. "You shouldn't be here." Emily said, trying to make it sound like it was Paige's fault that she saw what Emily just did._

_**Right place, wrong time. Right place, wrong time**__. Paige stood for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. "What are you doing? Why are you with her? You said it didn't feel right. You said it was a mistake." Paige said, the pain and confusion evident in her voice._

_"It was." Emily began. "But it's not that simple." She said, her heart pounding wildly._

_"Yes it is." Paige said incredulously. "Either you were lying to me when you said it was a mistake or you weren't. So which is it?" She asked, her voice cracking._

_Emily looked down and noticed what Paige was holding in her hand. A yellow tulip. __**Hopelessly in love**__. With a sickening feeling, Emily realized why Paige was there and she couldn't bring herself to look Paige in the eye knowing she was going to see the heartbreak she was feeling reflected in Paige's eyes. But she forced herself to look up anyway and what she saw in Paige's eyes was beyond the pain she felt. __**Oh my god**__._

_"Paige…" Emily said, her voice breaking as tears welled from her eyes. She shook her head sadly. "You shouldn't have come here. I didn't want you to see that." Emily said once again, trying to put blame on the girl standing in front of her for finding it in her heart to forgive Emily so soon. "I didn't want you to find out this way."_

_Paige scoffed. "Why?" She asked incredulously. "So you could keep lying to me? Answer my question Emily. You said you knew the kiss was a mistake the moment it happened. That your relationship didn't feel right. Were you telling the truth or were you lying?" Paige asked, eerily calm._

_Emily swallowed hard. "I was lying." She said brokenly._

_"But you said it was a mistake." Paige said disbelievingly. "Don't do this. Emily you can't be with Tara. Please. Listen to me." She pleaded desperately._

_"No. __**You**__ listen." She said firmly, interrupting Paige. "This is why I told you to see where things go with Dani. The thing with Tara may have started as a mistake but after you left I fell for her. She was there and you weren't. What was I supposed to do?" Emily asked, fighting back tears._

_The words Emily uttered made Paige visibly flinch and she took a step back. "You fell for her?!" She asked disbelievingly. "So those things you said yesterday, about surrendering, about me seeing where things go with Dani because you didn't want me to be alone anymore. You said all of that just so you could get back together with Tara? Is that what you're saying?" Paige asked, the anger and disbelief evident in her voice._

_Emily bit back a sob. "I didn't know how else to tell you. The reason I ended things with her was because I wanted to tell you about the cheating first. That's why I said it didn't feel right. When I said I wanted someone else, I meant the person Tara has become to me after you left. I wanted us to have a fresh start and the only way to do that was to tell you the truth before getting back together with her." She said, desperate to make Paige accept what she was saying. "Because as long as you didn't know about the kiss she will always see herself as a mistake. But she wasn't. That's why I told you. I will not apologize for moving on Paige. I don't regret falling for Tara. You left me remember? You gave me that note on my birthday saying you were letting me go. Tara was there." She explained forcefully._

_"Like she was there when I was in Radnor?" Paige asked, dejected. "I guess she always swoops in to save the day huh? But I'm back now. I'm here now so why do you want to be with her?" She asked, confused._

_"Did you really think it would be that simple?" Emily asked in disbelief. "That just because you decided to return after all these years I would immediately go back to you? Well guess what, it doesn't work that way. You may be back but the Paige I knew and loved is gone." She said sadly. "You said no, remember? When we had dinner the night you came back, you said we should just be friends. I gave you a chance. I needed to know where we stood before I decide to see where things go with Tara. I figured I at least owed you that." Emily explained, the hands she kept all this time to her sides, balling tightly into fists._

_"Wow. I guess I should be so lucky that my ex-girlfriend considered our history before getting back together with the girl she cheated on me with. That she wanted to try because she __**owed**__ me. Don't do me any favors Emily." Paige said cynically._

_"You don't get to be mad at me Paige. I said I still loved you but you didn't want to be with me. Spencer's right. I can't keep holding on to someone who just wants to be friends with me." Emily said indignantly._

_"But I thought you understood when I said that I couldn't be the person you needed me to be at the time?" Paige said, hurt._

_"I did. But that's when I realized it was a mistake that I held on to you for so long because after all those years you still can't get past the accident." Emily said quietly. "I can't go back there Paige. Those months were horrible and dark and I don't want to go back to that. I don't want to feel that way again. Tara understood. She saved me. Because unlike when I'm with you, I feel good about myself when I'm with her." She continued, forcing herself to keep looking at the girl whose heart she was breaking with every lie she kept uttering. "She paid attention to me. She was sensitive to my needs and I can be myself around her. But most of all, she was there for me when you…"_

_"Bailed on you?" Paige finished for her. "When I bailed on you?" She asked disbelievingly._

_"When you bailed on __**us**__. Paige I had no choice but to move on because you left me!" Emily exclaimed, struggling to fight back her tears._

_"I didn't say you shouldn't have moved on. I __**wanted**__ you to move on. But to do it with the girl you cheated with when you claimed it was a mistake?!" Paige said, visibly upset. For a moment she just stood there and stared in sorrow at the girl standing in front of her, trying to wrap her head around everything Emily was saying to her. "Let me ask you something." She said hoarsely._

_"Paige…" Emily begged, somehow knowing what the girl was going to ask. __**Please don't ask me that. I don't want to keep lying to you. Please.**_

_"No!" Paige said crossly, refusing to let Emily shy away from answering her question. "No." She repeated coldly. "You made it sound like your actions were a consequence of mine. That you cheated on me because I made you feel like I didn't want you anymore. That you started doubting our relationship because I was pulling away. And that because I left you moved on." Paige said as she took a small step closer to Emily. "So now I'm asking you. What would you have done? If I stayed? If I said, 'Okay I won't leave'. Will you still tell me about the kiss?" Paige asked breathlessly, hoping against hope to hear what she wanted to hear from Emily. But she didn't._

_Because Emily just looked away, not saying anything. And the silence broke her heart all over again._

_Paige was reeling from the meaning of Emily's silence and she shook her head, disappointed. "You know, I never thought I would say this but something good came out of my leaving. You found a way to be honest and you got what you wanted, moving forward with your life without feeling guilty for leaving me behind." She said, her voice barely above a whisper._

_She waited for Emily to look at her again before continuing. "I have tried __**so**__ hard to understand why you cheated on me twice." Paige said sadly. "I always said to myself, forget your insecurities. Put Emily's needs first. This isn't about you." She said, the devastation evident in her voice._

_She took her eyes off Emily for a brief moment and stared at the darkness surrounding them, seemingly at a loss, before looking at the girl once again. "There's this saying… that no one could make you feel bad about yourself unless you allow them to. I think it's supposed to make you feel confident about yourself. But when the person who does it means everything to you, that thinking goes out of the window." Paige said sadly. "So in case you didn't know. You made me feel like I wasn't good enough." She admitted, wiping the tears from her eyes, finally deciding to be selfish for once and reveal to Emily how she really felt about her cheating._

_Emily scoffed. "You're one to talk. I could say the same thing to you. You want the truth? You want to know why I fell for Tara?" She began, fighting the urge to cry. "It's because for the first time in a long while she made me feel good about myself the way I am and I didn't feel pressured to change for her. Just like when I was with Maya and Samara. I miss feeling that way." Emily said, willing herself to keep looking at Paige. "Ever since we became a couple, I felt I had to change for you just to be worthy of your love. It's exhausting."_

_Paige bit back a sob with those words. __**Why was Emily doing this?**__ "I didn't think I was pressuring you to change all this time." She said quietly. "It was entirely up to you if you wanted to change. Because the desire to be better for the one you're with shows how much you love them. But most importantly, I didn't want you to change just for me. If you felt the need to change I thought it was because you wanted to be a better version of yourself." Paige continued, her heart breaking at the implications of Emily's words._

_"So I guess if you felt pressured to change for me all this time, you didn't see me as worthy enough for you to want to be better on your own. Which kinda sucks because…" Paige bit her lower lip and smiled sadly, letting the tears flow. "All this time I have done nothing but try for you."_

_Emily willed herself not to cry. __**Almost there**__. "I told you to see where things go with Dani. You should have listened to me." She said harshly. "I don't want to be with you Paige."_

_Paige looked at the flower she was holding in her hand and dropped it to the ground, stepping on it. "Then I guess you were right. I'm such an idiot for thinking you wanted me to forgive you. My fault, for choosing to find a way to trust you again rather than start something with Dani." She shook her head, starting to back away from Emily. "I need to be with someone who doesn't lie and cheat and risks a three-year relationship for something she claims to be a mistake. So I guess you made the choice for me. You want to be with someone who would make you stop wanting to be better? Then by all means, be with Tara." Paige said callously before turning her back to Emily and running away._

* * *

Paige woke up to the smell of coffee coming from somewhere inside the room. She opened her eyes groggily and tried to focus on her surroundings. As usual, her nightmares woke her up again in the middle of the night. It took some time but after some tossing and turning, she finally regained the sleep that eluded her. But it wasn't enough. She wanted to go back to sleep but the scent of the coffee and the feeling of the cold hard floor beneath her finally forced her to get up. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she looked at the girl sitting on the bed, her legs swinging on the edge, amusedly studying her. She shook her head, smiling herself.

"Good morning." Dani said, grinning widely. "Sleep well?" She asked teasingly before getting up and handing Paige a cup of coffee.

Paige gratefully took it and breathed in the aroma, wrapping her hands around the small cup in an effort to warm her cold hands. "Thanks." She said before taking a sip and looking up at Dani.

"This is getting silly." Dani said, sitting on the bed once again. "It's been a week Paige. You're going to get sick if you keep sleeping on the floor. Are you sure you don't want to rethink the idea of renting the room beside this one… since you so adamantly refused to sleep beside me?" She asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

Paige shook her head. "No. I don't want to rent another room. I'm fine sleeping on the floor." She said assuredly, finally getting up and sitting beside Dani.

Dani sighed, looking at her best friend. "I can't let you sleep on the floor while we're dating so… do you want to stop dating instead?" She asked anxiously.

Paige smiled wryly and took Dani's hand in hers, squeezing it lightly. "No. I don't want to stop dating you." She said, causing Dani to grin. "Call me old-fashioned. It's just that I'm not comfortable sleeping beside the girl I like, in this case, you, when our relationship isn't _there_ yet." She admitted. "I can sleep on the floor for a while longer. But thanks for the concern. You're so sweet." Paige said softly before giving Dani a quick kiss on the cheek.

Dani felt herself blush and stared for a moment at their hands. "I have an idea." She said hesitantly. When Paige said nothing, she continued. "I was thinking, maybe this whole sleeping apart thing is because we've been staying in this motel room for quite some time now it seems like we live here. So what if we spent the night somewhere else?" Dani asked shyly.

Paige smiled at her. "Go on." She said encouragingly.

"Well, your birthday's coming up and if I remember correctly, you seemed to favor the lime Jell-O at one of the restaurants at the Hamptons." Dani said, starting to play with their fingers. "So what do you say we return there just for the weekend to celebrate, rent a house by the beach, and then we sleep in the same bed? If you're still weirded out, you can go back to sleeping on the floor. Or the couch." She said hurriedly.

Paige tried to keep her expression neutral, refusing to show Dani that the memory reminded her of Emily. For the past few days, she tried her best to focus on Dani that she avoided interacting with Emily and her friends, choosing to follow-up leads on her own. Emily's words still hurt her and even if she couldn't bring herself to hate Emily, she didn't want to be around the girl who broke her heart once again.

She sighed. "What's wrong with celebrating here in Rosewood?" Paige asked. "I'm not particular with the lime Jell-O. We can have it store-bought. Or better yet, we can forego the whole thing and just have a regular cake instead." She said, trying to get out of going back to the Hamptons. "As long as I get to celebrate it with someone I care about, I don't have any complains."

"That's sweet but are you kidding me?" Dani asked, shaking her head. "The entire time we were there, the only time I saw you light up was when you found out that the restaurant offered lime Jell-O in their desserts. I want to see you light up like that again." She admitted. "Besides, there's that small matter of the lead we found about the boat. It's no coincidence that it led us back there."

"I don't know, maybe we can follow that lead after my birthday instead." Paige said, still reluctant to go.

"You're probably right but I kinda want to start sleeping on the same bed with you again. Not just because we're dating but because I want to stop worrying about you getting sick." Dani said, not ready to give up. "Besides, I already invited everyone." She muttered under her breath.

Paige smiled. _Dani's so sweet_. Her smile suddenly faltered as the words Dani just said finally registered in her mind. Quickly, she removed her hand from Dani's and stood up, an overwhelming feeling of dread coming over her. "Who's _everyone_?" She asked nervously as she watched Dani grin at her sheepishly.

* * *

"Do I really have to go?" Emily asked begrudgingly before bringing the covers above her head, effectively covering herself from head to toe.

Hanna reached out to gently take the covers from Emily's grasp and nodded her head forcefully. "Absolutely." She said before sitting on Emily's bed. "Tell her she has to go." Hanna said, looking at Spencer and Aria who were standing near Emily's door.

"You have to go." They said at the same time, eliciting a groan from Emily.

"Why?" Emily said, her question muffled by the pillow she decided to use to cover her head this time. "Paige loathes me." She said dejectedly as Hanna once again took what she was using to cover her head. "I said all those awful things and then I practically pushed her to be with Dani. Now you guys want me to come to the Hamptons for the weekend to celebrate her birthday and possibly get front row seats as to how their love story unfolds? No way am I subjecting myself to that." Emily said adamantly.

"Well we can't exactly leave you alone. 'A' might find a way to get to you while we're gone. We're not willing to risk that." Spencer said, finally moving to sit on Emily's bed as well.

"Kinda too late to worry about that Spence. I really needed that last week." Emily said, forcing herself not to cry.

"I know. I mean, we don't want 'A' to go after you again." Spencer said sympathetically.

"So let's just not go. Problem solved." Emily said, finally sitting up.

"Well I kinda want to go 'cause Caleb's going and I kinda want to spend time with him away from all this 'A' drama." Hanna admitted sheepishly.

"I have a paper to write about the Wally Findlay galleries there so I _have_ to go." Aria chimed in. "I mean I was supposed to go with Ezra but Malcolm came down with something. So this trip is kinda important to me." She explained.

Emily looked at Spencer expectantly. "Well… the reservation's kinda in my name and I sort of already put down a deposit for the house so I have to go." Spencer said hesitantly. "In my defense I didn't expect that you would pull this kind of thing on Paige so…" She said, letting the sentence hang.

"Me?" Emily said exasperatedly. "I blame that horrible text 'A' sent me. It's not like I had a choice." She said, getting upset once again at how she chose to handle the situation.

"Emily, the text said to kiss an ex; it didn't say anything about trampling all over Paige's heart after." Aria interjected, causing three pairs of eyes to glare her way. "I'm just saying." She said hurriedly. "You kinda went a little overboard."

Emily groaned. "I panicked." She said, resigned. "I mean, Tara and Paige weren't supposed to know what I was up to." Emily said, grabbing her phone and showing the message to her friends once again. "That was the rule of the game." She said as she held up her phone so that they could read the message once again. Displayed on the screen is the message 'A' sent of a photo of the graves of Paige's parents with the message below it which read, **"Two down, one to go. You know I can make it happen. So let's play a secret game of Push and Pull. If you win, Paige gets to live. First kiss an ex; can you guess what's next? – A"**.

"Paige wasn't supposed to see that kiss. But then she showed up so she saw it anyway. So then I figured I could use what she just saw instead to push her away so…" Emily couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence. She felt herself tearing up when she recalled every hurtful word she said to Paige. She didn't know how she could fix things now.

"We know." Hanna said, touching Emily's arm lightly. "All we're saying is that maybe this trip could be a means for you and Paige to find a way to start being civil around each other. We can't let 'A' drive a wedge among us when we're getting closer to finding out what happened the day of the accident. Remember, we still need to figure out that whole ransom note lead." She said, trying to put a positive spin into things. "How about this? Why don't you invite Tara to come along? Like they always say, the more the merrier." Hanna suggested when she saw that Emily is still reluctant to come with them.

Spencer frowned at those words. "Hanna, I think that saying is applicable for people who frequent orgies and couples who like to swing. In this case it's more like, more people, more drama." She said. "Em, don't even consider bringing Tara along. Are you trying to recreate the Trojan War or something?" Spencer asked, shaking her head.

Emily rolled her eyes. "I'm not Helen of Troy." She said wryly.

"Think again. To those two, you are. And I don't think Paige will be jumping for joy when you show up with the girl you cheated with then supposedly chose over her." Spencer said before getting up. "Just, don't make any rash decisions. You don't need to bring Tara along, we can keep you company." She promised.

Just then, their phones made a beeping noise and they sighed before reading the text. The message contained a photo of Paige and Dani walking hand in hand as they wandered the streets of Rosewood, the message below making Emily change her mind about not inviting Tara.

**"Out with the old, in with the new. Say hello to Rosewood's newest 'IT' couple. – A"**

"Oh no." Aria said, alarmed, when she noticed Emily was making a call. "Somebody stop her." She said to Spencer and Hanna but it was too late.

"Hey Tara. It's Emily. Listen, do you have any plans this weekend?" Emily said into the phone, ignoring the silent pleas of her friends to end the call. She knew she was going to regret it later but she couldn't handle spending two days in the same house with Paige and Dani. Since Paige thought she got back together with Tara anyway, she might as well see where things go.

"I guess I'll give Paige and Dani a heads up." Hanna said before getting up to make the call, the dread of having to tell Paige about Emily's impromptu plus one evident in her voice.

Aria rolled her eyes at Spencer. "I guess it's 'more people, more drama' then." She said, shaking her head.

* * *

"You guys okay back there?" Caleb asked as he tried to concentrate on the road ahead of him.

A chorus of grunts and 'no's answered Caleb's question. They were almost near the house they leased for the weekend when they came upon an unexpected detour and the road was anything but smooth. For the past few minutes, Emily and Spencer, who occupied the middle seats in the van they rented for the trip, managed to knock heads more than once to their absolute discomfort and Hanna, who sat beside Caleb in the passenger seat, constantly bounced up and down much to her irritation. Tara, who sat beside Emily, somehow remained asleep the entire ride and Aria, who sat on the backseat beside Dani and Paige, kept bumping her head on the window. The only people who seemed to actually find the humor in all of this are Dani and Paige, who seemed oblivious to the others' discomfort and kept giggling whenever a bump in the road gave them a reason to sit closer to each other.

"I'm parched." Dani said when she finally stopped laughing.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Paige asked worriedly before moving to get a bottle of water from the bag between her and Aria. "Here." She said, handing over the bottle to Dani loosely.

Just then, another bump in the road caused Paige to drop the bottle of water and she quickly leaned forward to grab it from the floor just as Emily, who sat in front of her, leaned back. Before Paige knew it, her lips were brushing Emily's nape and the brief contact made them gasp inaudibly. The bottle of water forgotten, Paige immediately turned to see if Dani noticed what just happened and was relieved to see that her girlfriend was staring outside the window. Emily noticed on the floor the bottle which rolled next to her and picked it up, trying not to show Paige that she was still reeling from the sensation of the other girl's lips on her skin. She turned to look at Paige and gave her a small smile.

"Here." She said timidly as she handed over to Paige the bottle of water. _Might as well try to start being civil around each other before we get to the house_.

"Thanks." Paige said, barely glancing at Emily as she moved to take the bottle, careful not to make contact with Emily once again.

Another bump in the road caused Paige to grab Emily's hand instead and for a moment their eyes met. Paige saw the pain their brief contact brought her reflected in Emily's eyes and she gently removed her hand on top of Emily's.

"You know what, it's yours. I can just get another one." Paige said quietly before grabbing another bottle of water beside her. Turning to Dani, she saw that the brief exchange she and Emily had just now didn't go unnoticed this time and she smiled apologetically. Paige opened the bottle and removed the cap before giving it to her girlfriend.

"Thanks." Dani said, taking the bottle Paige handed to her. "It's fine." She said, smiling reassuringly.

Paige gave Dani a grateful smile in return and held Dani's hand in hers, suddenly terrified to let it go.

* * *

"Room keys, get your room keys here." Spencer said once she got the keys to the house after filling up the necessary paperwork.

The two-story house they rented for the weekend fronted the beach and the breathtaking view somehow lessened the tense atmosphere in the van the moment they arrived. That is, until they had to pick rooms. Since the house had four bedrooms, they decided to occupy the rooms in pairs, with Spencer and Aria sharing a room on the ground floor across from Caleb and Hanna. That left Dani and Paige to occupy the other room on the second floor, much to the chagrin of Emily. Caleb and Hanna refused to switch rooms with her and Tara, saying they wanted easy access to the Jacuzzi outside, while Spencer and Aria insisted that they are creeped out by the floor to ceiling wall in their room that is made of glass which fronted the beach. Emily reluctantly settled in the room she shared with Tara and started to unpack.

"I could take the floor." Tara offered timidly even if the bed could fit two people. "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable." She explained.

Emily shook her head. She dragged Tara into this mess. The least she could do was share the bed. "It's big enough to fit two people Tara. We can share." She said reassuringly. "Just, no cuddling." Emily added lightly.

Tara laughed. "I promise to keep my hands to myself." She said as she raised her right hand as if taking an oath. Emily managed to give the girl a small smile. "Finally!" Tara said, clapping her hands together. "I thought I would spend the entire weekend with the Grinch. Good to know the Emily I know and like is still there somewhere." She said, sitting on the bed to face Emily. "Listen, don't let Paige and Dani see you like this." Tara began. "I'm not stupid Em. I kinda know why you asked me to come along and I am fine with it." She admitted. "But since we're here I think it's a good time as any to talk about the sudden kiss you gave me last week. I mean, you said yes, right? So I really want to see where things go. One last time." Tara suggested.

Emily didn't say anything for a moment before finally nodding once, deciding she could try to make things work with Tara. "Okay. One last time." She agreed, making Tara grin.

* * *

"Okay, so what else are we forgetting?" Caleb asked as he looked at the list of ingredients he and Dani planned to buy for dinner that night. "We've got all the ingredients for the seafood pasta, the salad and the s'mores."

After they have all settled in, the group decided to huddle in the kitchen to plan for dinner. Since Paige's birthday was the next day, they planned on staying up late so they could welcome Paige's birthday once the clock struck 12.

"Ooh. Lime Jell-O." Dani exclaimed suddenly while grabbing the list Caleb held in his hand. "Remind me to swing by 'The Bistro' later to buy one." She told Caleb while adding it to the list, much to the confusion of the others except for Paige and Emily. "I can explain." Dani said hurriedly.

"Dani." Paige cautioned, embarrassed to let the others know about her weird preference for the gelatinous food over cake around this time of the year.

Dani smiled teasingly while holding Paige's hand. "This girl right here doesn't like cake." She began. "I thought at first it was just a one-time thing when we celebrated her birthday here two years ago. We had dinner at 'The Bistro' and she was anything but happy the entire time. It was seriously the most depressing birthday dinner ever." Dani said, giving Paige a small smile. "But then when it was time for dessert, her face lit up and she ordered lime Jell-O. I thought she was kidding but she said it will always be better than cake so I just let her order it." She animatedly said as she told them of Paige's fondness for the food. "But when we celebrated her birthday in my apartment last year… I had to make her one from scratch _just_ to cheer her up." Dani said, shaking her head, amused. "So we _have_ to buy lime Jell-O at 'The Bistro'." She concluded, starting to head out of the kitchen with Caleb.

Paige felt her cheeks flush from embarrassment when all eyes turned to her in surprise but the only ones she met were Emily's. No one knew of the significance of the lime Jell-O except the two of them. But only Paige knew the significance of that moment. Suddenly, it was like everyone disappeared and it was just them, transported to the time when Paige celebrated her first birthday with Emily.

* * *

_"Is that what I think it is?" Paige asked, grinning widely at Emily as her girlfriend placed a plate of food in front of her. It smelled good._

_"Mushroom risotto." Emily smiled proudly before sitting on Paige's lap and wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's neck. She kissed Paige gently on the lips before pulling back. "Happy birthday babe."_

_Paige shook her head in amazement before kissing Emily on the cheek. She looked at the plate and grinned once again. "You cooked this for me? It smells good. Thanks." Paige said, extremely touched as she gently wrapped her arms around Emily's waist._

_"You said it was one of your favorites so… I tried to learn how to cook it." Emily admitted shyly. "Well dig in." She said, grabbing the spoon and taking a serving of the food to feed Paige. "How is it?" She asked nervously._

_The rice was undercooked and there was too much butter and wine but she didn't want to discourage Emily in her first attempt at cooking something, especially for her, so she swallowed the food and smiled at her girlfriend gamely. "More." She said, much to the delight of Emily._

_After a few more spoonfuls, Paige suddenly felt nauseous and her stomach started to spasm. She couldn't bring herself to eat another spoonful and she had to tell Emily._

_"Em, I don't feel so good." Paige said ruefully. She had the sudden urge to vomit and she hastily got up, apologizing to Emily before rushing to the bathroom. __**This is bad**__. She started breaking into cold sweats and she felt like she was going to pass out from the pain._

_"What's wrong?" Emily asked as she followed Paige to the bathroom, extremely worried. "Oh my god Paige you look really pale."_

_Paige tried to smile but had to vomit again. "Okay, this is bad." She said, looking up at Emily. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way but the risotto, what kind of mushrooms did you use?" Paige asked as she tried to focus on Emily._

_"Wild mushrooms." Emily answered, sitting in front of Paige before brushing a few strands of hair away from her girlfriend's face. "Why?"_

_"I'm guessing you took it to mean wild in the literal sense so it's not store-bought?" Paige asked, feeling a sudden urge to vomit again as she wrapped her arms around her stomach._

_Realization dawned on Emily and she hastily ran to get the phone to dial 911. "Hold on!" She shouted as she ran to the hallway. Paige tried not to lose consciousness but the pain was too much and she lost the battle to stay awake._

**_88888_**

_"Hey." Paige said faintly and she struggled to smile as Emily entered her hospital room. "Why are you just standing there? Come closer." She said weakly, confused as to why Emily stayed by the door._

_Emily shook her head and fought back tears. "I almost killed you." She said in a small voice._

_Paige struggled to sit from the bed and her effort to do so finally spurred Emily to approach her. "Careful!" Emily said worriedly as she held Paige by the arm to help her sit._

_Paige brushed a strand of hair away from Emily's face and touched her chin gently. "Hey." She said, forcing Emily to look at her. "I'm okay. My throat's a little sore but otherwise I'm fine." Paige said, wiping a tear that escaped from Emily's eyes._

_Emily hugged Paige tightly. "I'm so sorry. I promise I won't cook for you again." She said apologetically._

_Paige pulled back to look at her girlfriend. "Don't say that. You can still cook for me. Just, steer clear of mushrooms." She said, trying to lighten the mood, but Emily's eyes started to fill with tears again. "Em, it's my first birthday that I got to celebrate with you. I don't want to look back to this day and remember that I made you cry." Paige said, touching the side of Emily's face lightly. "So can you please smile for me?" She asked weakly._

_Emily brushed the tears from her eyes and nodded before standing up. "It's still your birthday." She said, as if a thought suddenly occurred to her._

_"Yeah. Are you planning on stripping for me or something?" Paige teased. "I mean, I'm still a little weak so I can only watch but I'm not picky." She said, smiling weakly._

_Emily flashed her a huge grin and kissed her quickly. "I don't want you to just watch so let's do that some other time. I'll be right back." She said before hurriedly exiting the room, leaving Paige extremely confused._

**_88888_**

_"What's all this?" Paige asked, her brows furrowed in confusion as Emily entered her room again, this time with an armload of food and a dazzling grin on her face._

_"Well like you said, it's still your birthday and our celebration was cut short so I figured we could continue it here instead." Emily said as she deposited the food on a chair and dragged it near Paige's bed._

_Paige managed to give a weak laugh and shook her head. "You know I can't eat any of that, I'm still a little queasy." She said as she studied the food Emily got for her. "Where did you get these anyway?" Paige asked curiously as she moved to her right so that Emily could sit beside her, careful not to disturb the IV attached to her right hand._

_"Vendo machine and hospital cafeteria." Emily said, grinning shyly. "You don't have to eat any of it; I just want you to feel like it's a birthday celebration." She said as she kissed Paige on the cheek. "But they didn't have cake though so I thought you could settle for this instead."_

_Paige watched as Emily grabbed a cup of green Jell-O and peeled the top off. "It's lime." Emily explained before producing a birthday candle and sticking it in the middle of the Jell-O. "I can't exactly light this in here so just pretend the wick is burning." She said before turning her attention back to Paige. "Go on; make a wish before the candle melts." Emily said, smiling at her tenderly._

_Paige looked at Emily for a while and kissed her gently on the lips. "Have I told you how much I love you?" She asked, her lips mere inches above Emily's, her voice catching in her throat._

_Emily knew she was blushing and her heart was pounding wildly. "Yes but I never get tired of hearing it." She said quietly. "And I'll never get tired of saying how much I love you too."_

_Paige kissed Emily one more time before pulling back to look at her girlfriend, grinning widely. "I can't think of a wish." She admitted._

_"What? How come? Everyone wants something to come true." Emily said, looking at Paige quizzically._

_"That's not accurate." Paige said as she took the Jell-O from Emily's hands to set it down on the bedside table. She moved a little bit more so that she and Emily could lie down on the bed and she intertwined their hands. She studied it for a moment before speaking. "There comes a point in one's life when they realize that they've got all they need right beside them. They experience this feeling of complete certainty and unexplained bliss. So they stop wishing. Not because they stopped wanting or looking but because everything else falls short when you compare it to that feeling." She looked at Emily and smiled at her softly. "So it's not that I don't have a wish. It's just that I'm there."_

* * *

"Blueberry cheesecake." Paige said suddenly, startling the others. She broke her eye contact with Emily and looked at Dani. "I want Blueberry cheesecake this time. I don't want lime Jell-O anymore." Paige said distantly before standing up and exiting the kitchen, leaving in her wake a confused Dani and a devastated Emily.

* * *

"Hey. You okay?" Dani asked as she entered the room she shared with Paige, leaving the door ajar.

Paige looked at Dani briefly before staring at the ceiling once again. That was too close. What happened downstairs minutes ago. A week has passed since their fight but she still couldn't handle being around Emily and she was losing control of her emotions. She had to get out of there so she hastily retreated to the safety of the room she shared with Dani and lied down on the bed, just staring at the ceiling, trying to numb the pain.

Dani slowly approached her and positioned herself on top of Paige, placing each leg on either side of her girlfriend, effectively straddling her. Paige moved her hands to place it on Dani's hips and took a deep breath, giving her a small smile.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Paige said quietly. "Shouldn't you and Caleb be grocery shopping right about now?" She asked wryly.

"That can wait. I just wanted to make sure you were fine before we left. What happened down there?" Dani asked, brushing a strand of hair away from Paige's eyes.

"Just a memory." Paige admitted, staring into Dani's eyes.

Dani smiled understandingly. "I knew that lime Jell-O had something to do with Emily." She said quietly.

"I'm sorry." Paige said resignedly.

Dani shook her head. "It's fine. We're trying, right?" She said, taking Paige's hand in hers. "What about Tara?" She asked quietly.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about her being here. I guess in a way it makes things easier. I can't do anything if Em wants to be with her. I just hope she doesn't hurt her." Paige said thoughtfully.

Dani leaned her head close to Paige's, supporting her weight using her hands, letting her hair frame their faces. Paige finally smiled. "Are you going to be okay while I'm gone? Because Caleb and I really need to get going." She said reluctantly.

Paige touched Dani's cheek with one hand and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "I'll be fine. You can't let us starve to death. And don't forget my cake." She said lightly.

Dani rolled her eyes and laughed. "One blueberry cheesecake coming right up." She moved to get out of bed when Paige suddenly pulled her close, making Dani lose her balance and she found herself lying on top of Paige.

"Thank you." Paige said quietly, closing her eyes, terrified to let go of Dani.

Dani rested her head on Paige's neck and closed her eyes as well, but not before her eyes fell on the figure standing by the door. _Emily_. Their eyes met and Emily tried to brush the tears that fell from her eyes before hurriedly walking past them. _I can't let you hurt her again_. Dani thought as she hugged Paige tighter.

* * *

"Okay, let's go." Dani said to Caleb as she got in on the front seat of the van.

Caleb looked at Dani for a beat before starting the van. "So, you and Paige, everything good?" He asked as he started the drive to the town. "That thing in the kitchen was a little weird. Is she okay?"

"Yeah. She's fine. We're fine. It's only been a week but so far it's been good." Dani said, trying to hide what was bothering her. But Caleb saw it.

"So why aren't you happy?" He asked, confused.

Dani distractedly looked at the passing scenery outside the window. "Because Paige isn't happy." She admitted.

"What do you mean?" Caleb asked, concerned.

"I know that Paige chose Emily that night. But something happened between them and she won't tell me what. You should have seen her when she got back Caleb. She was trembling so hard and she was so devastated. I've never seen her like that. I think if I let go of her when she hugged me she would have collapsed from the grief." Dani said, finally turning to look at Caleb. "Did Hanna say anything to you?" She asked despairingly.

Caleb shook his head. "No. But for the sake of our relationship we don't really talk about Emily, you and Paige. We try to remain neutral. So I didn't ask and she didn't tell me anything."

Dani sighed. "Paige is hiding." She said quietly. "I don't know what happened but Emily must have said something so devastating because I think Paige is terrified of being around her."

"So why are you letting Paige use you as a shield?" Caleb asked incredulously. "Dani I don't want you to get hurt."

"It's not like she doesn't care about me Caleb. She's trying." Dani explained. "I love her so much and even if we're dating now she's still my best friend. If the only way for her to get through this is to be with me then I'm fine with it. I can still take it. I'm not going to just standby and watch as Emily hurt her again. Not this time. So unless that girl does something that would convince me otherwise, I'm not letting Paige go." She said with determination.

"Okay. But just know that I'm here for you when things go south." Caleb said, realizing it was pointless to argue with his sister.

Dani chuckled. "Wow. Thanks for the support Mr. Ray of Sunshine." She said lightly.

"I'm serious." He said, briefly taking his eyes off the road to look at Dani.

"I know. And I love you for looking out for me. You became the brother I never got the chance to grow up with." Dani said sincerely.

They rode in silence for a while before Caleb finally spoke up again.

"So, where to first? Local market and cake or murder mystery?" He asked when they stopped at an intersection.

"Murder mystery. It might take long and we don't want our food to spoil." Dani said as she looked at the street to their left.

"Are you sure we're still on the clear?" He asked as he pulled the lever of the van's turn signal downwards.

"Yeah. If anything changes Paige'll let us know." Dani said, checking her phone just to be sure.

"Then let's go get us some answers about the owner of that boat." Caleb said determinedly as the light turned green.

* * *

"You found this in Alan Moore's house? The house near the one Ali's family stayed at the summer they came here?" Paige asked as she and Dani stood beside the van, their backs turned to the house behind them in an effort to conceal what they were doing.

"Yeah." Dani said before pocketing the photo once again, grabbing the last bag of groceries as she and Paige made their way inside the house.

After returning from their trip, Dani asked Paige to help her with the groceries so she can tell her girlfriend inconspicuously what they found, while Caleb went inside to start the preparations for dinner that night.

"Well do you know who it is?" Paige muttered under her breath as she opened the kitchen door for Dani. Dani gave her a grateful smile as she went ahead of Paige, carrying in her arms the last of the groceries.

"Where are the others?" Dani asked Caleb when she saw him by the kitchen sink, washing the salad greens.

"Out by the beach. All of them." He said pointedly.

"Okay then." Dani said as she lowered the bag of groceries on the kitchen counter before facing Paige, leaning her back against the counter as she did so. "No. We don't know who it is yet. We didn't have time." She explained. "We just grabbed what we could and got out of that place before anyone saw us and realized we're crashing. Not that they would notice. Those hippies were high as a kite. We were in luck when we got there. They were having some sort of party and just let us in."

"I think it's because of that hairstyle of yours." Caleb said wryly from behind Dani.

Paige studied Dani and smiled. She did look like a hippie. A _gorgeous_ hippie. Before she and Caleb left the house, Dani decided to wear her hair up and styled her long strawberry-blonde hair into a braid, which then served as a headband, leaving a few short strands of hair to frame her face.

"I like it." Paige admitted, taking Dani's hand in hers.

Dani felt herself starting to blush and she cleared her throat. She wasn't used to Paige paying her this much attention. "Anyway, yeah, they let us in and we hurriedly went from room to room, trying to find out what we can about Mr. Alan Moore. We didn't find anything except for the photo in one of the rooms so we took it. We figured it was better than coming back empty-handed. Besides, if it's useless we can just throw it away." She said nonchalantly as she began playing with their hands.

"I don't know." Caleb said as he began taking out the groceries from the last paper bag. "I still think it wasn't a coincidence that the name of the owner of the boat occupying Kenneth DiLaurentis' boat slip at the marina happens to be the same as the one who owned that house near the one Ali's family stayed at." He explained.

"Yeah. It's not that far of a leap actually." Paige admitted as she finally closed the gap between her and Dani, placing her hands on the countertop, effectively locking Dani between her arms.

Dani smiled and wrapped her arms around Paige's neck. They just stared at each other for a while until Caleb cleared his throat behind his sister. "PG-13." He said in between coughs.

Paige rolled her eyes at Caleb but refused to distance herself from Dani. "As I was saying, you guys were right. There are just too many coincidences surrounding that boat. It's weird enough that those people were aboard that boat when we can't find out their relation to that name. But Ali's dad subletting his slip to someone who turns out owned a house near their choice of summer home is weird as hell. It really was worth checking out. I think we need to check the house Ali stayed at again. We might've missed something."

"How?" Caleb asked as he turned his back to start preparing the seafood for the pasta.

Paige shrugged. "I'll call the owners later. I'll tell them it was sudden but I was passing through and I needed a place to stay for a few days. You guys said it was empty, right?"

Dani nodded as she started playing with Paige's earlobe with her hand. "Yeah. No one's leasing it right now." She said distractedly.

Paige shifted her attention back to her girlfriend. "Then I'll call them right now." She said as she moved to pull away from Dani.

"Uh-uh. Not so fast." Dani said, giving her a teasing smile.

Paige smiled and leaned forward to give Dani a kiss. "Oh. I'm sorry." An achingly familiar voice from behind her made Paige stiffen.

Swallowing hard, she distanced herself from Dani and braced herself as she turned to face Emily, who was standing by the kitchen door, the pain of seeing Dani and Paige in an intimate position seconds ago evident in her face. Emily just stared at them for a brief second before finally finding her voice.

"I didn't mean to interrupt. I- I was just going to get some water." Emily said hoarsely. She felt her throat constrict. She had to get out of there. "But I can get it later." She said before hurriedly turning her back to them and running outside, but not before Paige saw the tears escape from Emily's eyes.

_Don't run after her_. Paige thought to herself, gripping the countertop to stop herself from bolting and hurrying after Emily. _She made her choice and it's not you_. _The sooner you accept that fact, the sooner you'll get used to your role in Emily's life_. Turning to Dani, she gave her girlfriend a weak smile. "I'll go make that call now." She said quietly.

Dani nodded wordlessly and followed Paige with her eyes as the girl slowly headed upstairs. "Don't say it." She warned Caleb behind her just as her brother opened his mouth to speak.

"Just help me with the pasta." Caleb said, resigned.

* * *

"How about a game of I never?" Aria asked as she looked around her. She rolled her eyes when they shook their heads. "Well I'm running out of ideas here."

After dinner, Caleb and Paige managed to start a bonfire by the beach and they all decided to sit around it, eating s'mores and drinking wine coolers as they waited for the clock to strike 12. They have been sharing ghost stories for the past hour when they finally ran out of scary stories to tell. But there was still an hour left to kill.

"Game of suck and blow?" Spencer suggested beside Aria.

"Using what?" Aria asked, amused.

"Yeah. Didn't think of that one." Spencer admitted before taking a bite out of her s'more.

"Why can't we just watch a film inside? It's starting to get cold out here. I think some sports movie is on. _Rudy_? That's a good film right? Em loves that film." Hanna suggested.

"Actually, Emily doesn't want to see that film again." Tara spoke up from beside Hanna. "Something about keeping a promise?" She asked, looking at the girl who sat on her other side to see if she got right the reason why Emily stopped watching that film.

Emily averted her eyes from Tara's and caught Paige's questioning gaze for a brief moment before looking at the sand at her feet.

"Game of truth?" Tara suggested uncertainly. "Or dare. Truth or Dare?" She clarified.

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea." Caleb, who sat on Hanna's other side, said hesitantly as he looked from Emily to Dani, who sat on his other side. He knew these two wanted to clear the air about some things so a game of truth or dare would be disastrous right now.

"Could be fun." Dani said, looking at Emily with her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Let's do it." Emily said, looking at her bottle of wine cooler before taking a sip.

"I'll go first then." Aria said, noticing Caleb's look of concern. "Spencer. Truth or dare?" She asked, looking at her friend.

"Dare." Spencer said, bored.

"I dare you to say the words 'in bed' after everything you say for the next 5 minutes." Aria said, grinning widely.

Spencer rolled her eyes and smirked. "Fine, in bed. That's easy, in bed. I just won't talk in bed." She couldn't help but laugh with the others while she shook her head. "I swear in bed."

Aria tried to control her laughter. "But it's your turn. So you've gotta ask your truth or dare question before you decide not to talk in bed."

"Hanna in bed. Truth or dare in bed?" Spencer asked, trying hard not to laugh.

Hanna wiped her eyes briefly and tried to control her laughter before answering. "Truth. I don't want to end up like you for the next 5 minutes." She answered before dissolving into laughter.

Spencer grinned. "What is the weirdest thing that you have ever eaten… in bed?" She asked amusedly.

Hanna's mouth dropped open and the others laughed. Spencer made good use of her dare. "Beer and turnips." She admitted after a while to the others' amusement. "What? I needed to fart and a website said it was the best fart food." Hanna explained as the others chuckled. "My turn. Tara." She said, looking at the girl beside her. "Truth or dare?"

"Ooh dare definitely." Tara said excitedly.

"I dare you to do 7 consecutive cartwheels." Hanna said, not able to come up with anything good.

Tara stood up and prepared herself. "I haven't done this in quite a while so I'm a bit rusty." She warned them before executing her first cartwheel. Her second to the last cartwheel sent her near the shore and she ended up executing the last cartwheel in the water, much to the others' amusement. She returned to them shivering and dripping wet before sitting down beside Emily. "My turn." She said while trying to dry herself. "Paige. Truth or dare?" Tara asked demurely, looking at the girl who sat in silence between Dani and Aria.

Paige held Tara's gaze for a moment before looking away. "Truth." She said quietly as she held Dani's hand in hers.

"When did you fall for Dani?" Tara asked as she tried to warm herself.

Paige bit her bottom lip, struggling to tell the truth. She knew everyone's eyes were on her, but the only ones she was aware of were Emily's. She knew Emily wanted to know the answer to that question as well. She squeezed Dani's hand reassuringly and answered. "After our non-date Valentine's date here." She said, smiling at the memory. "We decided to go out to celebrate Valentine's Day but just as friends. We had dinner and there were these liquor-filled chocolates compliments of the restaurant. This girl right here apparently has a low tolerance for alcohol but she ended up eating 10 so I had to support her the entire walk home. I couldn't carry her to bed so I just let her crash on the couch. I tucked her in and that's when I started to see her for the first time." Paige knew her answer would hurt Emily but she didn't want to lie to Dani knowing her answer meant a lot to the girl. "I just sat there for a moment and watched as my best friend slept and I thought to myself there was nothing holding me back. So I let myself fall." Paige said, meeting Dani's gaze, refusing to take her eyes off her girlfriend because she couldn't bear to look at Emily, knowing her words devastated the other girl.

"My turn." She said after a beat when no one said anything. There weren't many people to ask. _Aria, Emily, Dani, Caleb_. She can't ask Aria because that would end the game, Emily is out of the question, and she can't ask Dani knowing her girlfriend will ask Emily once it's her turn. The last thing she wanted was for them to fight. "Caleb. Truth or dare?"

"Dare." Caleb said nervously.

"Relax." Paige said, shaking her head. "I dare you to go down in a split as far as you can." She said, smirking.

Caleb stood up amidst catcalls and prepared himself for what he was about to do. _Might as well get it over with_. He executed a split and stopped himself from crying out loud before relaxing his stance, bowing to the group as they applauded in amusement.

"Emily. Truth or dare?" Caleb asked, looking at his sister apologetically. Between Dani and Emily, Dani was the more aggressive one and he can't let Dani ask Emily what she said to Paige.

"Truth." Emily said quietly.

"Okay. Who among us has presented you with the _worst_ birthday gift and what was it?" Caleb asked teasingly, not knowing his question struck a chord.

"Paige." She said bitterly, making Paige look her way in shock. "Her gift came in a small box but it held the biggest surprise. She said she was letting me go." Emily said, the anger and pain evident in her voice. "That was one gift I would never ask for."

_Why are you so mad at me? It worked out fine didn't it? You're sitting beside the girl you chose_. Paige lowered her eyes, willing herself not to say anything. She felt Dani sit closer to her. "I'm right here." Dani whispered reassuringly. Paige bit her lower lip and squeezed her girlfriend's hand. She didn't have the energy to fight back anymore. She was tired of fighting with Emily.

"Dani. Truth or dare?" Emily asked bitterly.

"Truth." Dani said coolly as she met Emily's gaze.

"Did you know that Paige chose me?" Emily asked. She knew she was being mean and had no reason to be this jealous. It was her fault Dani and Paige were together in the first place, but she can't help it.

Dani nodded her head. "Yeah. The minute she came home I knew she chose you." She admitted, startling Emily. "You seem surprised. She's my best friend Fields. And more than anyone, I've been beside her, watching her ever since she fell for you. So I knew the minute I saw her that she came to see you. I knew I was the second choice but honestly, it doesn't matter if Paige chose you Emily. Because in the end what mattered is that _I_ chose Paige, unlike you." She was about to say something more when she felt Paige's hand squeeze hers.

"Dani." Paige said quietly. "Just end the game." She pleaded. She didn't want Emily and Dani to start their bickering once again.

Dani gave Paige a small smile and nodded her head. "Aria. Truth or dare?" She asked, turning her attention to the girl who sat in open-mouthed shock.

"We got it wrong." Spencer muttered to Aria from the side of her mouth. "I never thought I would say this but I think Paige just became Helen of Troy." She said in disbelief.

"I know." Aria replied under her breath. "So much drama."

"Aria. Truth or dare?" Dani asked again.

"Uh, dare." Aria said when she found her voice.

Dani smiled mischievously before taking out a marker from the back pocket of her cutoffs. "I dare you to name all the seven dwarves of Snow White in _15 seconds_. If you can't, I get to write the ones you missed on any part of your body of my choosing." She declared, causing the tension just minutes ago to somewhat dissipate. "Don't worry. This isn't permanent." Dani assured Aria as she waved the marker in the air.

"Permanent or not I'm not even gonna ask why you have a marker with you." Spencer said in confusion.

"I'm weird that way." Dani said, winking at Spencer. "And begin." She said, turning her attention back to Aria.

Aria stared at Dani in mock horror before starting. "Uh, let's see. There's Sleepy, Happy, Doc, Sneezy, Bashful, Dopey and..."

"And… time." Dani said, laughing with the rest before standing up and walking towards Aria. "You missed this little one." She said as she wrote the name on Aria's right cheek before sitting beside Paige again.

Aria looked at Spencer expectantly. "Well?" She asked. "Who did I miss?"

Spencer tried to stifle her laughter before replying. "Grumpy."

"Oh great." Aria said, rolling her eyes while laughing with the rest.

When the laughter finally died down, they all sat in silence for a moment, content to enjoy each others' company while they waited the last few minutes left before the clock struck 12.

"Okay I'm sorry. I've tried to endure the cold but I can't wait for a few more minutes. The wind's picking up and I'm still soaked. I'm gonna go head inside." Tara said apologetically, standing up. "Happy birthday Paige." She said, rather cautious as she waited for Paige to acknowledge her.

"I'll walk with you." Emily said, standing up as well.

Paige looked up for a brief moment and nodded her head at them. "Goodnight." She said quietly.

When the clock finally struck 12, the others greeted Paige enthusiastically before heading inside. Dani asked if Paige wanted company but she said she wanted to be alone for a while. When everyone left, Paige brought her knees to her chest and pulled her jacket closer, watching absentmindedly as the embers of the bonfire died. She was surrounded by people who care but she never felt so alone in her life.

"Mind if I join you?" Emily's soft voice behind her made Paige turn around in surprise. She felt her heart start pounding wildly, terrified to be alone with Emily. _Relax. It doesn't look like she's going to say those words again_. Paige shook her head before looking out into the vast darkness in front of her.

Emily cautiously sat beside Paige, conscious to put some distance between them. They sat in heartbreaking silence for a while before Emily finally spoke up, staring at the darkness in front of them as well. "So. Lime Jell-O. Certainly brought back memories." She began softly, trying to make conversation.

Paige nodded, willing herself not to look at Emily. "It did." She took a deep breath before chuckling humorlessly. "It's funny. If someone told me back then that those people would be so broken today I would have laughed at them for saying something so absurd." She said miserably.

"Yet here we are." Emily said, her voice catching in her throat.

"What do you think happened to those people?" Paige asked, finally looking at Emily. "When did we start hurting each other so much?" She asked, the hurt and confusion evident in her voice.

"People change." Emily said quietly, staring at Paige in sadness as she reminded herself why they're not together. "And that includes us."

"Yeah. But feelings don't." Paige said brokenly, looking out into the darkness again. "At least not mine. Not when it's this strong and real. I don't know. I guess I thought no matter how much we changed, in the end, when it's real, we'll find a way to make it work somehow. Turns out I was wrong about that too." She said dejectedly as she rested her chin on her knees.

They sat in silence once again until she spoke after a beat. "You don't like Rudy anymore?" Paige asked, not looking at Emily.

"I do." Emily admitted. "But, I promised you I wouldn't watch Rudy so that you'd call me remember? So I never watched. I kept my promise all this time." She said, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. _Unlike you_. She stopped herself from saying those words. She didn't want to start another heated conversation with Paige. She didn't want to fight anymore.

"I'm sorry I stopped calling." Paige whispered after a beat.

Emily cleared her throat. "Why do you like that Jell-O so much anyway? You missed out on cake because I landed you in the hospital that day." She said inquisitively.

"It wasn't the Jell-O. It was what I realized at that instant. When I was away, I held on to that moment despite where our relationship stood." Paige said but refused to elaborate any further.

"Well I brought one from Rosewood just in case you were in the mood for one." Emily admitted. "I remembered it too." She said as she produced a lime Jell-O cup and a birthday candle. She carefully peeled the top off and stuck the candle in the middle. Paige watched her wistfully from the corner of her eye. "I can't light this out here because of the wind so just pretend the wick is burning. Go on; make a wish before the candle melts." Emily said quietly as she put the makeshift cake in front of Paige, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't think all the lime Jell-Os in the world could take care of my wishes right now." Paige said quietly. She took the Jell-O from Emily and looked at it for a while. "But thanks for the sentiment."

Emily felt her heart twist at Paige's words. She wanted to tell her the truth, but she knew it won't justify all the things she said to Paige. Ever since they arrived, Paige seemed reluctant to be around her. Not that she could blame her. The entire day she was reminded that unlike her and Tara, Paige wasn't pretending to be with Dani. She and Dani were really together. And it hurt. It hurt so much she couldn't breathe and the jealousy she felt was gnawing at her. She knew Paige liked Dani, and that she genuinely cares about her best friend. But she wanted to know if Paige was somehow happy being with her because if she is then... _then what Em?_ _Then it means you have no choice but to really let her go_. "Does Dani make you laugh?" She asked quietly, her voice never betraying the nervousness she felt about hearing the answer to that question.

Paige didn't even bother to look at her. "She doesn't make me cry and given how everything seems so out of control right now, I think that's better."

Emily bit her lower lip, trying to find a way to make Paige forgive her once again. "I'm so sorry I said all those things." Emily said after a beat. "Do you hate me?" She asked, terrified.

Paige didn't say anything for a moment before finally standing up. "I should head inside; Dani's probably waiting for me. I think you should do the same. You shouldn't leave Tara alone." She said distantly as she continued to look out into the vast darkness in front of them, not answering Emily's question.

Emily felt a lump form in her throat and decided to stay behind. _Paige must really hate me_. "Go ahead. Happy birthday Paige."

Paige nodded. "Thanks." She said, finally looking down at Emily. Before she turned on her heels to leave, she saw Emily visibly shiver from the cold. Quickly, without thinking of what she was doing, she removed her jacket and leaned over to place it on Emily's shoulders. The simple gesture made Emily's eyes fill with tears.

"You might get sick." Paige said softly as she let her hands linger on top of Emily's shoulders. Emily placed one hand on top of Paige's to hold the jacket in position, desperate to find an excuse to touch her. Paige felt her breath catch in her throat and her heart began to hammer wildly. "Thanks for the lime Jell-O. I know I don't owe you an explanation but just the same, I thought you should know. That was the moment I realized I wanted to marry you." Paige said quietly.

She removed her hand under Emily's and gingerly took a step back. Being this near to Emily was unbearable. _She didn't choose you_. She reminded herself as she and Emily looked at each other. Before she could stop herself, she finally answered Emily's question.

"I don't hate you Emily. I never will. But right now it hurts just being around you." She admitted sadly.

Emily bit back a sob and nodded. Paige started to make her way back to the house when she heard Emily speak. "If you can't make a wish I'll make one for you." She said. "I wish someday you'd feel that way again. The way you felt that night at the hospital." Emily said, her voice hoarse, trying to stop her tears from falling. "I wish you'd find that moment again. That moment when you couldn't think of a wish anymore." She said sincerely.

Paige just looked at her, the sheer devastation she was feeling evident on her face. _I just want you to be happy again Paige_. Emily thought forlornly. _So if Dani makes you happy I'll learn to let you go_. She was startled from her thoughts when Paige spoke.

"You still don't get it do you? After all these years." Paige said heartbrokenly as she choked back a sob. "_You're the one Emily_." She said fervently. "You're the one." Paige repeated helplessly. "You're _my_ one." She said empathically.

Paige swallowed hard, fighting the urge to cry. "But you left me for Samara, then you went back to Maya. And now you chose Tara. It was never _me_ Emily. If it came down to them or me, for some reason when you have to make a choice, if I'm not the only one standing in front of you, you can't choose me." She said, the words breaking her heart all over again. "You're with Tara. You chose to be with Tara. Thanks for the wish but as long as you're with someone else I will never feel that way again." Paige said sullenly before she made her way back to the house. She never looked back so she never saw when Emily broke down into uncontrollable sobs.

* * *

Paige slowly woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon and turned to her side, her face lighting up at the sight of Dani sleeping soundly beside her. When she got back from the beach a little after 1 a.m., she thought about sleeping on the floor like she did in their motel room. But Dani was wide awake and she decided to lie beside her girlfriend for a while. They ended up talking until 3 a.m., with Dani trying her best to make Paige smile by making fun of random things, knowing her best friend was somehow devastated once again. When they finally ran out of things to make fun of, Paige decided to open up to Dani about what really happened between her and Emily last week. Dani just listened and held Paige's hand the entire time, knowing Paige opening up to her on her own was a huge step for the girl to take. Paige felt guilty for talking about Emily with her girlfriend but Dani assured Paige she understood and that they're still trying, making Paige feel even worse. Because while she knew with absolute certainty that she will never get over Emily, she can't seem to end things with Dani. She was being selfish. She knew that. But even if they didn't talk about it, Paige knew Dani was determined to keep her heart safe and right now she wanted that. When sleep finally overcame them, Paige decided she was comfortable sleeping beside Dani after all.

"Wake up sleepyhead. We need to get an early start." Paige said, touching Dani on the shoulder to shake her gently.

Dani opened her eyes slowly and Paige found herself grinning. She will never get used to Dani's eyes. Ever since Paige saw her eyes for the first time, she always found herself mesmerized by how blue they were. _Her eyes are definitely Dani's best features_. Paige thought as she planted a soft kiss on her girlfriend's forehead.

"What time is it?" Dani asked groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before smiling at Paige.

"Seven." Paige answered before getting up and heading for the bathroom in their room. "Come on. We need to get going. This house is a little far compared to the one we stayed at when we came here the first time." She said, still waiting for Dani to get up.

"Well it's not like we came here to do some sleuthing P. So excuse me if I didn't even bother to find a house near that place." Dani said exasperatedly as she finally stood up and ran a hand through her hair.

"I know that. And it's actually a good thing too. We came here to spend a weekend away from the whole 'A' thing but guess what? It still managed to follow us here." Paige said wryly as Dani slowly made her way towards her.

"Tell me about it." Dani said, rolling her eyes. "I guess it's just our luck that the lead Caleb and I found led here. It's really no coincidence that Ali's family and then later Ali herself, stayed at that house." She said as Paige closed the bathroom door.

"Hence the feeling that we missed something in that house. I know. I know." Paige said, her voice muffled from behind the door.

"What are we going to say to the others?" Dani asked as she checked her reflection in the full-length mirror beside the bathroom.

Paige opened the door and stepped outside. "The truth. Or at least half of it. That we decided to check out the place Ali stayed at one last time. Seems like a waste of opportunity considering we're here already." She said, shrugging.

Dani rolled her eyes. "I know that. Duh. I mean, what are we going to say about _why they couldn't come_?" She clarified.

Paige waved her hand dismissively. "Caleb's taking care of it." She said before gently pushing Dani to get inside the bathroom. "Now hurry up. I don't think I can control myself and leave you a piece of bacon."

"You're mean!" Dani exclaimed as she tried to catch Paige before the other girl stepped out of her reach, heading for the bedroom door while giving her a teasing smile.

* * *

"But I want to come." Hanna said imploringly as she sat in front of Caleb during breakfast. She, Spencer and Aria were huddled in the kitchen along with Caleb. They were the first ones up that morning and she and Caleb decided to cook breakfast for the group.

"You can't. I'm sorry." Caleb said apologetically. "We need decoys. I'll go with Dani and Paige to explore the house."

"But we can help too. Five new pair of eyes is better than one." Aria reasoned out, grabbing a piece of bacon and taking a bite.

"You can help us more by doing this. We can't let them catch us all in one place." Caleb said, keeping his voice down.

"Why are we suddenly whispering?" Spencer asked in a hushed voice, confused.

Caleb shrugged. "You never know who's listening. They could be anywhere." He looked at the direction of the stairs to see if the others were awake yet. "Besides, Tara's here. We don't have a choice. We can't exactly take her with us. And it'll be too weird if Paige and Dani are left with her instead of you and your friends. I mean, you guys know Tara. They don't. And then there's the issue of Paige and Tara over Emily. Leaving those two alone isn't a good idea." Caleb explained.

"Caleb's right." Spencer said reluctantly as she looked at Aria and Hanna. "We probably can't even leave the house if she's around. We need to stay put."

"Thank you." Caleb said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'll leave it up to you guys to find a way to tell Emily discreetly. I'll be outside if Dani or Paige ask for me." He said, giving Hanna a quick kiss before standing up and leaving the kitchen.

* * *

"You don't have to do this. It's just one more day. We're headed back to Rosewood tomorrow morning." Emily said as she and Tara stood near a bus stop, waiting for the bus that would take Tara home to Rosewood.

"I think I have to." Tara said regretfully. "Emily, I don't know what's going on here. I thought we were going to try but after last night it was obvious that nothing is ever going to happen. You were pretty harsh on Dani and Paige in that Truth or Dare game. It's glaringly clear you're not getting over your ex-girlfriend anytime soon." She said, sitting down on the bench. "Then you opted to sleep on the couch downstairs. I think it's pretty clear where you stand when it comes to us."

"I'm sorry." Emily said earnestly, sitting beside her. "I wish I could explain to you my actions recently but I can't. Not without dragging other people into it."

"It's fine Emily. Like I said, I know why you dragged me here." Tara said, giving Emily a small smile. "Consider this my atonement for playing a role in ruining your relationship with Paige." She said, touching Emily's hand for a brief moment. "When you get back to Rosewood, I sincerely hope we can have a fresh start. Like, for real this time. No more surprise, confusing kisses please."

Emily smiled. "I'd like that." She said before standing up once again when she saw the bus making its way towards them.

Tara looked behind her and stood up as well. "You know, I gotta say, after talking to Paige, I finally understood why you were so terrified of losing her. She's pretty remarkable." She said, slinging her overnight bag on one shoulder.

Emily's brows furrowed in confusion. "When did you talk to Paige?" She asked, her stomach tightening into knots. _We've met_. She suddenly remembered when Paige uttered those words without looking at Tara when she introduced them.

Tara's eyes narrowed into slits. "I thought you and Paige talked about everything when you told her about the kiss?" She asked cautiously.

"Yeah. We talked about why I cheated on her and how she felt since surviving the accident." Emily said, crossing her arms to her chest.

"That's it?" Tara asked, surprised. "Then I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." She said apologetically.

"When did you talk to Paige?" Emily asked, grabbing Tara's arm rather roughly, surprising the other girl. "I'm sorry." She said, releasing her grip. "Why didn't you say anything?" Emily asked quietly.

"Because Paige wanted you to move on. Even she understood that you dropping everything just to wait for her isn't right." Tara said, trying to make Emily understand before she had to board the bus.

"When?" Emily asked, still reeling from the fact that Paige came back to Rosewood without her knowledge.

Tara furrowed her brows, trying to remember. "I think it was a few weeks after we started dating."

"What did she say to you?" Emily asked anxiously, but she already had an idea. And from the way Tara suddenly seemed embarrassed, she was right. "She told you to do all those things for me didn't she?" She said accusingly, trying to understand how she felt about this huge piece of information.

"It's not like she meant any harm when she did it." Tara began gently. "She just wanted to make sure that I would take good care of you since she's gone." She continued.

"No. She wanted me to _fall_ for you." Emily said indignantly.

"Well you never had to worry about that because it didn't work did it?" Tara said quietly. She looked behind her again and saw the bus was nearing them. "Emily, what you and Paige have is truly amazing." She began, smiling softly. "So much so that I _wish_ that I met you and Paige during your glory days because I haven't met anyone who loved someone as much as Paige loves you."

Emily scoffed. "Yeah. She loves me _so much_ that she walked away from me." She said, fighting back tears.

"You're wrong." Tara said as the bus stopped in front of them. "She loves you so much more than you realize. Emily, I can't even begin to imagine the strength it took for Paige to come up to me and choose to give you up that day and every day since then. Not knowing if she will ever get you back. She didn't walk away to hurt you. She did it to put you first." She hugged the brokenhearted girl standing in front of her before whispering in the other girl's ear. "Emily, true love isn't measured by how many times you found your way back to each other against all odds. It isn't just about happy endings and breathtaking moments. That's not how it works. Most of the time to know its strength it's about the amount of sacrifice one is willing to make for the other. I think right now you know that better than anyone else."

* * *

"Anything?" Caleb impatiently asked Dani and Paige for the nth time, much to their annoyance.

"I swear if we find _anything_ you'll be the first to know." Dani said, rolling her eyes at her brother. "I will come running to you and show you what I found if it means you will stop asking us every two minutes."

"It's kinda hard to find anything when you don't even know what to look for." Paige admitted reluctantly, dusting herself off after standing up. "We could cover more ground if we split. I'll take the back and make my way to the kitchen." She said, immediately heading to the backyard of the home Ali stayed at during a summer at the Hamptons.

"Good idea. I'll take the front and make my way to the living room." Caleb said, making his way to the front door.

Dani stood for a moment, trying to process what just happened. _Did they really just leave me?_ "Hey! You guys think you're pretty funny don't you? Oh come on! This is _so_ not fair! Why do I have to search every room upstairs? That's just… _so awesome_." She reluctantly started making her way toward the marble steps leading upstairs, all the while bothered by a nagging thought. _How did Ali even __**afford**__ this place all on her own?_

* * *

Emily slammed the front door behind her as she entered the living room, making her friends look up at her in surprise and concern.

"How was it?" Hanna asked, putting the TV on mute as Emily plopped down beside her on the couch, exhaling loudly.

"I think it's safe to say they're not getting back together." Spencer said, studying Emily closely. "Hey Em, why are you so…"

"Angry? Livid?" Emily finished for Spencer, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Heartbroken." Aria said quietly. "Underneath that anger you seem so heartbroken."

Emily took a deep breath and looked at her friends. "Before Tara left she accidentally said something to me." She began, trying to control the anger she was feeling. "About Paige. She said Paige talked to her a few weeks after we started dating." Emily shook her head in disbelief. "She came back to Rosewood and didn't even talk to me." She said, defeated.

Emily's friends looked at each other guiltily and decided to come clean as well.

"Actually." Hanna said, fidgeting with the remote control. "We all saw her too at least once." She admitted quietly.

Emily looked at them in open-mouthed shock and stood up, pacing the length of the room in an effort to control her anger. "All this time, you guys have been keeping this from me?" She exploded. "You've all seen Paige when she was supposed to have left Rosewood and not one of you even bothered to tell me?!"

"Please let us explain." Aria pleaded. "Em it wasn't like we sought her out or she went to us, we kind of ran into her." She explained. "But not at the same time." Aria said hurriedly.

"I saw her first." Spencer admitted. "She was on her way to the bus station and I gave her a ride. I didn't realize it then because you didn't say anything, but I knew she was visiting you because when I saw her she was walking from the direction of your house. When you said she was calling you every night, it was then that I realized that she wasn't just merely visiting, I think she stood outside your house whenever she called you." She said gently.

Emily felt her throat constrict. She couldn't breathe. _Why am I finding out about this just now?_ "What did you say to her?" She asked, trying to control her anger.

"I said if you found out what she was doing it won't be pretty." Spencer said hesitantly. "I'm guessing I was right. I'm so sorry Em."

"When did you see her?" Emily asked Aria, ignoring Spencer's apology.

"A few days after we saw the 'FOR SALE' sign in front of her house." Aria said, swallowing nervously. "I saw her at 'Lucky Leons' and I decided to confront her about how she chose to tell you she was leaving for good. I was about to let her have it when I saw something in her eyes that made me realize no one really understood why she left. It was a brief moment but it was like she knew she lost everything because of her decision but it was as if she felt she had no choice in the matter." She explained.

"She always had a choice. She _chose_ to leave, remember?" Emily said, hurt. She looked at Hanna expectantly, waiting for her friend to confess.

"Paige actually sought me out." Hanna admitted, looking down at her hands. "It was on the night of your birthday."

"The gift." Emily said breathlessly, realizing Hanna lied about when Paige gave it to her.

Hanna nodded guiltily. "She showed up on my front step and asked me to tell you I had it before she left. Back then I didn't understand why she couldn't just give it to you. But we had a chance to talk when we went to search for the file in her old house and she said she really _was_ going to see you that night but…"

"She saw me and Tara. Kissing." Emily finished for Hanna. "All this time I thought you told her about Tara." She said, suddenly feeling weak.

Hanna shook her head. "No. I never even _knew_ there was a Tara until you introduced her to us." She said, surprised.

Emily finally sat down, exhausted. "That's why she stopped calling. That's why she talked to Tara." She said quietly. "You're supposed to be my friends. Why didn't you guys say anything?" Emily asked, looking at them with tears in her eyes.

"It's because we're your friends that we didn't say anything back then. We did it for your sake." Spencer said gently, moving to sit beside Emily. "Even Paige didn't want you to find out. She didn't want any of us to find out what she was doing." She said, looking at Hanna and Aria. "Em, at that time seeing Paige again wouldn't have done you any good because she wasn't done looking for answers. She still would have left and we don't want to see you so devastated again."

Emily stood up once again, feeling betrayed. She and Paige needed to talk once and for all. "I know you guys were just looking out for me and I love you for that. I could forgive you for that." She finally let the tears she was holding back fall freely from her eyes, wanting them to see how devastated she was.

"But you guys shouldn't have kept this from me." Emily said, trying to get the words out in between sobs. "The first time she left, she didn't say goodbye." She said brokenly. "I didn't get a proper goodbye. All I got was a letter. She said goodbye to me in a _letter_. No matter how good your intentions were, you guys shouldn't have kept something like this from me." Emily said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Because even if seeing her meant I would have to say goodbye all over again, I would rather learn to live with that than not see her, not even once, in the time that she was away." Emily wiped the tears from her eyes and headed out the door. She had to find Paige.

* * *

"You're kidding, right?" Caleb asked, looking at Paige incredulously as he stood beside her, both of them staring at an enormous potted plant that was at the back of the house. "You called me out here for _that_?" He asked, pointing to the plant in front of them.

"What? Something could be underneath it." Paige explained. "I wouldn't put it past her. Ali could have hidden something there."

"Yeah, like more soil and dirt. I'm not touching that." Caleb said, backing away.

"Oh come on. My arms are sore from all the lifting I've been doing. Help me out." Paige begged as she bent over to try and lift the plant. "Consider this your birthday gift to me." She said, looking up at Caleb teasingly.

Caleb rolled his eyes and bent over as well, lifting the heavy plant just enough for Paige to look underneath it. "Satisfied?" He asked smugly.

"See how easy that was?" Paige said lightly, giving him a pat on the back. "Go back to inspecting your precious table lamps, I'll be inside soon." She said while looking around for a place to look next.

"Well holler if you need me. I'll come running reluctantly." Caleb said, grinning wryly before heading back inside.

* * *

Dani stared at herself in the mirror as she finished washing her face in the bathroom in one of the bedrooms upstairs. Looking around for a towel to dry her face with, she was disappointed to find there wasn't any. _Well, so much for hygiene_. She thought as she tried to use her hands to wipe away the water from her face instead. Wringing her hands, she turned to make her way out of the door and accidentally landed her hand on the electrical outlet installed on the wall near the sink. Startled, she quickly removed her hand from it, relieved that she wasn't electrocuted. She continued on her way out when she was struck with something odd. _I wasn't electrocuted_.

On a hunch, she went inside the bathroom once again and touched the outlet once, twice, trying to see if there was any current running through it. Satisfied there wasn't, she started prying the sides of the outlet, holding her breath in nervous excitement when the cover finally fell on her hand. Peering inside, she saw that it was hollow. _A concealment device. Clever_. She cautiously reached inside and felt something thin and small at the bottom. Gingerly, she took it out and grinned when she saw that it was a small, black notebook, its pages smelling a little musty. _Figures_. _I wonder how long this notebook's been in there._ She thought to herself as she looked at the inside of the cover and saw Ali's name neatly scrawled at the bottom. _Bingo. Ali must have accidentally discovered this fake outlet as well_. Carefully, she browsed the pages to see what was written inside and she knew she had the answer as to how Ali could afford this place on her own. She was blackmailing a _lot_ of people. _These people definitely have motive for wanting Alison dead_. She thought, shaking her head as she looked at the amounts written beside each name. _You've been busy as a bee Ali_.

She hastily read through the names and found two that stood out. _Well that's weird_. Heart pounding wildly, she returned the outlet cover in its place and made her way outside. Hurriedly going out of the bedroom, she made her way towards the direction of the stairs, excited to tell Caleb and Paige what she found.

"Caleb! Paige! I found something!" Dani yelled, her voice echoing in the large, empty house as she reached the top of the landing. "You guys wouldn't believe this. I hit the jackpot on this one!"

Suddenly, her world shifted. Before she could comprehend what was happening, someone forcibly grabbed the notebook she held in one hand. She didn't get a chance to see who it was. Her attacker seemed to have come out of nowhere, _no_, behind her actually. She felt the push and before she knew it, she was falling, tumbling down the stairs haphazardly. She desperately tried to stop her fall. She tried grasping at something, anything that could stop her movement but she grabbed nothing but air. It was over just as quickly as it began. She felt the excruciating pain like her head exploded when it hit the floor, and then everything went black.

* * *

"Dani!" Caleb cried out while rushing to his sister's side. He was on his way to see what Dani was so excited about when he heard the brief scuffle. But he was too late. Heart racing, he saw Dani sprawled on the marble floor, unconscious.

"Dani." Caleb said, shaking his sister violently. "Dani!" He cradled his sister's head on his lap and that's when he noticed the blood. "Oh god, oh god. No. Dani, come on, wake up. Wake up Dani. Paige!" Caleb yelled at the top of his lungs, distressed.

Paige came running inside, startled by the panic and fear she heard in Caleb's voice. When she saw what made him so scared, she hastily ran over to them. "No. No. No. Dani!" She exclaimed, terrified. She kneeled opposite of Caleb as she touched Dani's face gently. "Is that blood?" Paige asked in a daze as she stared at Caleb's shirt. She felt her blood run cold. "Caleb..."

"Call 911!" Caleb said frantically as he held Dani close to him, trying his best to stop the bleeding while trying to wake her up.


	10. With Bated Breath

**DISCLAIMER**: _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters = still never mine. Characters in this fanfic except for maybe a few belong to PLL. Some events in this fanfic were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. Since I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL, I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~Wow. You guys… I can't believe I actually have 103 reviews! Seriously… thanks for showing your appreciation and support through all of your AWESOME, AWESOME reviews about the story! And thanks for frequently saying I could or should publish this. Overwhelming words of praise indeed! Again, my apologies for posting only one chapter each week.~**

**~WARNING: This is the end of the line for Paige and Emily (at least I think so) when it comes to the waterworks… I guess you know what that means!~**

**~AND we now officially have a new record breaker for longest chapter yet! LOL! Story's going to be done the day 3b starts so the chapters are going to be quite lengthy. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and following it.~**

_**Shokoshik, EyeOpener16 & AliasThorne**_**: Your PMs are crazy AWESOME… saying thanks isn't enough to tell you guys how much I appreciate your words of praise.~**

* * *

**Chapter 10: With Bated Breath**

_**"If you really love someone, you'd let them go. But I look at you and see that I've been wrong. If you really love someone, you take them back."**_** – Jodi Picoult**

"Sir, what is your relation to the patient?" A business-like tone of voice asked Caleb as he held Dani's hand tightly while his sister is wheeled-in to the emergency room on a gurney. He looked around, disoriented, as he tried to see where Paige is.

"Paige?" Caleb called out frantically.

"Sir?" The voice asked once again.

"She's my sister. Stepsister." Caleb answered distractedly. "Paige?" He called out once again.

"I'm here." Paige said as she positioned herself on Dani's opposite side of the gurney. "I'm right here." She repeated reassuringly as she took in Dani's lifeless form. "You'll be fine." Paige said soothingly as she squeezed Dani's limp hand. "You have to be."

"Paige, I got this. Call Hanna and tell them what happened. Go." Caleb said urgently as he turned his back to her to follow where the doctors were taking Dani.

Just like that she was alone again. Paige stared at her hands, covered in Dani's dried blood, and bit back a sob. _Please be fine. You're the only one I've got. I can't lose you too_. Paige thought as she went to a corner in a daze and took out her phone to call Hanna.

* * *

"Emily, wait!" Hanna's frantic voice from behind her made Emily turn around.

"What?" Emily asked impatiently. "I need to talk to Paige." She said as she made her way determinedly towards the direction of the bus stop once more.

"We know. And we're coming with you." Spencer said as she fell into step beside Emily, followed close behind by Aria and Hanna.

"I appreciate your concern but I need to do this on my own." Emily said, stopping to face her friends. She was about to say something else when she noticed the apprehension on her friends' faces. "What's going on?" Emily asked, suddenly gripped with a sense of fear.

"We're going to the hospital." Aria said urgently. "Something happened. It's Dani."

"What about her?" Emily asked, suddenly worried.

"The doctors wouldn't say anything to her since she isn't family. But Paige said it's really bad." Hanna said as she hastily walked past Emily and made her way towards the bus stop.

* * *

The instant she saw the fear and devastation on Paige's face, Emily's desire to talk to her immediately took a back seat. _It can wait_. She thought as she hurriedly made her way towards Paige.

"Hey." Emily said worriedly as she moved to hug an extremely dazed Paige.

Paige gave her a brief hug before stepping back, not wanting to soil Emily's clothes with the dried blood on her hands. Emily noticed the blood and was instantly gripped with fear.

"Is that?" She asked, suddenly terrified as she studied Paige closely.

Paige shook her head. "It's Dani's." She said faintly as she finally sat down. Emily sat beside her and placed one hand on the girl's knee to comfort her. "There was so much blood." Paige said hoarsely as she closed her eyes, trying to forget the image of Dani lying in Caleb's arms just moments ago, bleeding and unconscious.

"Where's Caleb? How's Dani?" Hanna asked urgently as she stood in front of Paige with Aria and Spencer right behind her. They all looked extremely worried.

Paige shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea." She said, seemingly lost. "Caleb told me to call you while he went to where they took Dani. She was unconscious when we brought her here and she suffered a head wound. There was so much blood. They were on his hands, on his shirt when he held Dani. I don't know… it seems really bad. She won't wake up." Paige said as she looked at the dried blood on her hands once again, terrified.

Emily studied Paige for a moment. She hasn't seen her this scared. Not since the night Lyndon held them captive. "Let's clean you up." Emily said softly as she stood up and touched Paige's arm gently, trying to coax the other girl to stand up as well. Paige finally did and let Emily lead the way to the nearest bathroom.

"I'll look for Caleb. Ask if there's any news about Dani's condition." Hanna assured Paige as she made her way to the information desk.

"Do you want some company?" Spencer asked, moving to follow Hanna.

Hanna shook her head. "I'll be fine. I think you and Aria should go back to the house, get a change of clothes for Paige and Caleb."

"Okay. If we're not back by the time there's any news about Dani, call us." Aria said as she and Spencer hugged Hanna goodbye. "It's going to be fine." She said encouragingly before she and Spencer headed out.

* * *

"Did you get it?" The driver of the car asked impatiently as the figure got into the backseat and closed the door behind them.

The figure nodded wordlessly and handed over the black notebook it forcibly took from Dani a while ago.

"Are you certain no one saw you leave the house?" The driver asked as it looked at the rearview mirror to meet the impassive look in the eyes of the passenger at the back.

"Positive. I made sure the house was empty before I left through the back." The figure said dismissively.

"And Caleb and Paige had no idea that you were still inside the house." The driver of the car stated just to make sure they were indeed in the clear.

"Yes. They didn't bother to search the house. They were too concerned with the bleeding girl I left in their wake, lying on the floor unconscious." The figure said arrogantly.

The driver ignored the conceit in the voice of its passenger and started rifling through the pages of the notebook.

"Why do you want that anyway? It's completely worthless. Your name isn't even in there. I checked." The figure said as it perched itself on the space between the driver's seat and the passenger seat of the car. "What now?" It asked impatiently.

The driver of the car stopped scanning the pages of the notebook and looked at the figure behind them. "We're headed back to Rosewood. Your job here is done."

* * *

"Caleb!" Hanna exclaimed, suddenly comforted when she finally caught sight of her boyfriend who was seated outside the operating room. He sat on one of the chairs that lined the walls and was resting his head on the wall behind him, eyes closed.

"Hanna. Thank God you're here." Caleb said, relief evident in his voice as he stood up, hugging her tightly.

"We came as soon as we heard. Emily's with Paige. But Aria and Spencer went back home to get a change of clothes for you and Paige. How is she?" Hanna asked worriedly.

Caleb sighed, sitting down once again as he rested his head on his hands. "She's in surgery. The doctor said she suffered a skull fracture. We won't know anything until after the surgery's done." He said, terrified for his sister.

Hanna took his hand and squeezed it firmly. "She'll be fine." She said reassuringly. "Dani's a fighter."

Caleb gave her a grateful smile and squeezed her hand back. "I'm so glad you're here." He whispered softly.

* * *

"What happened?" Emily asked gently as she stood beside Paige in front of the bathroom sink, trying her best to get the blood off Paige's hands.

Paige sighed, struggling to make sense of the events that transpired before Dani fell. "I don't know." She admitted helplessly. "I was at the back of the house when I heard Caleb yell my name frantically. When I got inside, he was already cradling Dani's head on his lap."

"Was it an accident?" Emily asked hesitantly. "Do you think she slipped and fell?"

Paige shrugged as Emily turned off the tap, satisfied that all of the blood has been washed off. "I don't know. Maybe. I didn't see anyone else inside the house other than us. But maybe someone was already there before we arrived. Only Dani can tell us what really happened. _If_ she wakes up." She answered sullenly as she tried to dry her hands with the paper towels Emily handed her. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have dragged her into this." Paige said, suddenly ashamed.

"Don't say that." Emily said gently, trying to comfort Paige.

"Why not? It's the truth." Paige said as she moved to discard the used paper towels in the waste receptacle. "She wouldn't be in this mess if I didn't come back for you. If I just stayed away." She said, looking at Emily, the self-hatred she was feeling evident in her voice. "Once again, my choice cost the life of someone I care about."

"Because of _me_?" Emily asked incredulously, hurt. "Because you somehow chose me _again_?" When Paige didn't say anything, Emily felt tears of anger burn her eyes. "I didn't realize you came back for me Paige. When I saw you at the bus station all I saw was the rage that you were trying so hard to control. I didn't see the Paige who loved me. All I saw was the rage and the darkness, and your undeniable attraction to Dani. So how could you say that you came back for me?" She asked, confused.

"I could tell you, but I don't think you're going to believe me so why bother." Paige said wearily before making her way towards the door. Emily immediately blocked her path, refusing to let Paige have the last word.

"You know what? You should've just let me die." Emily said quietly, looking at Paige. She saw the hurt those words brought to Paige's eyes but she refused to take it back. "If you keep blaming every consequence of your actions to keeping me safe and alive, you should've just let me die." She said bitterly.

"You don't mean that." Paige said breathlessly, the hurt and shock evident in her voice. _Please say you don't mean that_.

"Yes. I do." Emily said adamantly. "If you keep on insisting that your parents died because you couldn't save them and that Dani is fighting for her life right now because you dragged her into this mess, all of these _just_ to keep me safe and alive, then you should've let me die that night instead."

She choked back a sob. "Paige, stop using me as an excuse when you can't face the consequences of your actions." Emily said, finally letting the tears fall from her eyes. "Did you even stop and think that by punishing yourself you were punishing me as well?" Emily asked, the pain evident in her voice. "You should've let me die if saving me that night meant living the rest of our lives apart."

"I'm beyond damaged Emily. I was doing you a favor by staying away." Paige confessed brokenly, barely getting the words out.

"No. You're not." Emily stated, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. "Because ever since you decided to walk away from us, all you ever did was hurt me." She said miserably before opening the door and running outside, leaving a devastated Paige alone in the bathroom.

* * *

"You think Dani is going to be okay?" Aria asked anxiously as she and Spencer made their way to the information desk to ask where they can find Caleb and Hanna.

Spencer shrugged. "I don't know. Hanna said there's still no news." She said as she waited for someone to assist them. "Jason?" Spencer said, surprised when she saw her half-brother standing by the opposite side of the desk. She almost forgot that he and his girlfriend lived on a boat and have been sailing the high seas for quite some time.

Jason looked up from the paperwork he was filling up and stared at Spencer and Aria in surprise. His brows furrowed in confusion. "Spencer. What are you guys doing here?" He asked as he made his way towards them.

"We're here for the weekend." Spencer explained, giving her brother a brief hug.

"Yeah but why are you _here_? In the hospital. Where's Hanna and Emily?" He asked, concerned.

"Emily's with Paige. Hanna's with Caleb. It's a long story." Spencer said dismissively. "What are _you_ doing here?" She asked, looking at the forms Jason held in his hand.

Jason looked at it and smiled. "Lucy's here." He explained. "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves but she said she missed her period and she's been nauseous lately. I just thought she should get checked out. You never know." Jason said, the excitement evident in his voice.

"Oh my god, you think Lucy's pregnant?" Aria asked, beaming at Jason. "That's good news."

Jason nodded. "I know. But we don't want to get our hopes up. I just wanted to have her checked out first before we decide to set sail again. If it's not safe we might stick around until she gives birth… _if_ she is indeed pregnant." He said, suddenly a little nervous.

Spencer shook her head. "I have to say, I never thought I'd live to see the day that I would see you this excited to have a kid." She admitted, smiling at him wryly.

Jason grinned. "I know. It's crazy right?" He said, turning his attention back to the paperwork he was filling up. "So, if you two and Hanna and Emily are fine, then who are you visiting?"

"Caleb's stepsister. She's in surgery right now." Aria answered distractedly while looking at the huge directory that hung on the wall beside the information desk.

"Yeah? What for?" Jason asked worriedly as he looked from Spencer to Aria.

"Head trauma. I think. We're actually looking for Hanna and Caleb. They're not answering their phones." Spencer said as she tried to get the attention of the person behind the desk once again.

"I didn't know Caleb had a stepsister." Jason said in mild surprise as he tried to call the attention of the person behind the desk as well. When she finally approached them, Jason handed her the completed paperwork before speaking. "These ladies need to find a friend of theirs. Hanna Marin. She's with Caleb Rivers? Can you direct them to the OR where a head trauma surgery is ongoing?" He said before looking at them once again. "I better get back. They're probably wondering where I went off to."

"Thanks for the help." Spencer said gratefully as Aria got directions. "Tell me if I'm going to be an aunt." She said, smiling at him.

"You'll be the first to know." Jason promised before going his way to find his girlfriend.

"It must be nice, living on a boat. I mean if you like sailing and being surrounded by water most of the time." Aria said, as she and Spencer started making their way towards the direction of the OR where Dani was being treated.

Spencer nodded her head. "Jason told me he felt more free living in his boat considering the living space is smaller. He said he'd rather live in a boat than go back to living on land." She said while looking at the signs on the wall. "I wish he'd finally introduce me to Lucy though. She sounds amazing from how Jason described her. And she's like, the most serious girlfriend he's ever had."

"I know. I'm kinda intrigued too. They've been together for almost… oof. Sorry!" Aria said apologetically after she bumped into someone while they were rounding a corner.

"It's fine." The woman said as she tried to steady Aria. "I should've been watching where I was going. I'm in such a hurry."

Aria smiled at the blonde-haired woman. "My fault too. I was busy talking to my friend here." She said as she studied the woman, reading the nameplate on her coat. Aria looked up at her in surprise. "You're running late?" She asked, confused.

The woman smiled. "Yeah. Even doctors need to come in on time. Excuse me." She said before hurriedly walking past them.

Spencer looked at Aria. "What's up with you?" She asked.

Aria shook her head. "Nothing. It's probably nothing." She said as she and Spencer finally spotted Hanna and Caleb from a distance.

* * *

"Any news?" Paige asked anxiously as she sat down beside Caleb, handing him a bottle of water.

Caleb took it and looked at her gratefully. "Thanks." He said before twisting off the cap and taking a drink. "No news yet. Hanna and her friends went to look for Emily."

"Good to see you changed your clothes." Paige said quietly as she nodded her head towards Caleb's shirt. "There was so much blood." She said as she looked at her clean hands, remembering what they looked like a few hours ago.

Caleb nodded his head. They sat beside each other in silence before he finally spoke. "I've been thinking." He began, looking at the direction of the operating room. "I think it's time we show them the footage. It could help us get to the bottom of things faster."

Paige swallowed hard, trying to control the rage she was feeling. "No." She said firmly, making Caleb look at her in alarm. "I will deal with this myself."

Caleb looked at her worriedly, touching her arm. "That's not a good idea Paige. It's too dangerous. What we need is solid proof. You can't just come up to them. You know what they're capable of." He reminded her urgently.

"Yeah well they don't know what _I'm_ capable of." Paige said edgily, clenching her hands into fists. She was starting to get out of control. She needed to find a way to calm down. "This has gone on for far too long. I can't allow anyone else to get hurt Caleb. I won't."

"Let's make a deal then." Caleb said, suddenly scared for Paige. "I won't reveal the existence of the footage for now if you _promise_ not to go after them by yourself. Deal?"

Paige looked at Caleb for a moment and finally nodded. "Deal." She said reluctantly.

Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. Now, we have to start thinking smarter than them. We have to be more scheming. Finding a way to protect each other from 'A' is the first step." He said quietly.

Paige furrowed her brows. "What are you thinking?" She asked. She could practically hear the gears turning in Caleb's head.

"Remember the first text 'A' sent when you and Dani came back? It said more secrets will come out. That's where we need to start." Caleb explained. "We need to reveal to each other the biggest secrets we have kept all this time. Once that's taken care of, we will do whatever we can to make sure our secrets cannot be used against us."

"How?" Paige asked anxiously. This plan could actually work.

"Two can play this game. They managed to hide their secrets. If we all know each other's it will be easier to do the same. We just have to find a way to trust one another completely for it to work." Caleb said as he looked at the direction of the operating room once again when they heard the doors open. They stood up immediately. "How is she?" Caleb asked, terrified.

"She's out of the woods. We were able to reduce the swelling of the brain and remove the pieces of bone from when her skull was fractured. The damage wasn't extensive. She'll be fine." The doctor said, giving them a reassuring smile. Caleb and Paige breathed huge sighs of relief. "But I have to warn you. In these cases, sometimes the patients suffer from memory loss. But we won't know until your sister wakes up." The doctor said, addressing Caleb. "She's in the recovery room right now. Since there wasn't much damage, once she wakes up she can be transferred to a regular hospital room. Until then I'm sorry but you can't see her yet. Rest assured we are monitoring her condition closely. If there's any change we'll let you know."

"Thank you." Caleb said earnestly while shaking the doctor's hand. "I'll take care of the necessary paperwork." He said to Paige once it was just the two of them again.

Paige nodded. "I'll stay right here." She said reassuringly. "Caleb." Paige called after him. "I'm so sorry." She said sincerely.

Caleb gave her a comforting smile. "What happened wasn't your fault. We wanted to find the people who did this to Dani's family. You didn't force us to help you." He said before hurriedly making his way to the information desk.

* * *

"What are we doing here again?" Aria asked, confused.

A few hours later, the doctor said that Dani is finally awake and can soon be transferred to a regular hospital room. While waiting for his sister to arrive in the room he had prepared, Caleb and Paige decided to use the room to meet with the others and tell them of Caleb's plan to be one step ahead of 'A' when it came to what 'A' might have against each of them.

"We _have_ to find a way to trust each other completely. We can't protect each other if we keep secrets. Once we reveal what our biggest secrets are, we'll do everything we can to cover each other's backs." Caleb explained as he looked at all of them. "There are no big or small secrets. Whatever it is, if its exposure is potentially damaging to you or your family, we'll make sure it stays a secret."

"Who wants to start?" Hanna asked nervously as they all looked at each other.

"I cheated on Paige with Tara. That's my biggest secret." Emily said as she leaned on the wall beside the door. "I don't have any other secrets 'A' could use against me."

Spencer kept fidgeting with her hands before finally speaking. "I never told you guys why Wren and I broke up." She began, looking at them. "It's because of my History professor."

"You're having an affair?" Aria asked incredulously.

"Keep your voice down!" Spencer said frantically.

"Since when?" Hanna whispered disbelievingly.

"It's over." Spencer said, not answering the question. "I ended it a few weeks ago. I found out he and his wife are expecting a baby. I can't ruin that child's life."

"But you can ruin a marriage?" Aria said disbelievingly.

"Guys. No judgments." Caleb reminded them firmly. "We're doing this to protect ourselves from what 'A' might do if these secrets get out." He said, trying to control the situation. "But Spencer, you _gotta_ tell us when the affair started. I need to find a way to cover your tracks."

"It was around the time Paige left." Spencer admitted, looking at Paige, subtly telling her that when they saw each other near Emily's house, she was coming home from meeting with her professor. Paige nodded in understanding. "I let it go on for so long because I actually thought he was going to leave his wife. He said the papers were being processed and that they were separated. It was just taking longer than he expected." She said, suddenly feeling humiliated.

"I can't believe I fell for that trick. A few weeks ago, his wife called me and said she needed to tell me something. When we met she said Trent was playing us both. I didn't want to believe it until she showed me the ultrasound. She was 5 weeks pregnant." Spencer felt herself tearing up. "She was surprised when I told her that Trent said he filed for divorce. She said they were still very much married and living together. I apologized and said I would end the relationship and I begged her not to breathe a word of the affair. I thought she was gracious enough to let me keep my dignity intact but she said she was actually doing it to save her family and her husband's reputation. After that I met with Trent and ended things."

"Oh my god Spence I'm so sorry." Aria said, touching Spencer's arm briefly.

Spencer gave her a weak smile. "It's fine Aria. I know where you stand on this sort of thing."

"Yeah but you also know where I stand when it comes to our friendship." Aria said firmly. She was silent for a moment before she finally revealed hers. "I have no right to judge anyone considering my secret. I got an abortion last year." She said quietly, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "I wasn't ready to have a kid of my own. Ezra said he would support me whatever I decide to do about it… so… I had one."

"That's why you knew about not being able to travel after getting one." Emily realized. "Why didn't you ask one of us to come with you?" She said worriedly.

Aria shook her head. "Getting rid of a baby? Not my proudest moment as a human being." She said quietly. "But I'm not ready to have one. And I didn't want any of you to look at me then like you're looking at me now. Like I'm suddenly a different person. I'm still me. Just…" Aria's words were cut off when she felt her friends hug her.

"I wish you told us." Spencer said quietly. "We're your friends. No matter what."

Aria nodded gratefully at them, wiping a tear that threatened to spill from her eyes. "Thanks." She said as they all stood beside each other, looking around for the next person to reveal their biggest secret.

Hanna finally spoke up. "I got treated for crabs." She said, to the surprise of Caleb. "No! I didn't cheat on you." She hurriedly assured him. "The thing is, this secret doesn't just involve me. It would involve my mom and Ted so I have to find a way to keep the lid on this one."

"Mind explaining to us what happened?" Caleb asked, concerned. "And why I'm finding out about this just now?"

"I assure you I got treated for it before I had any form of contact with any of you guys." Hanna said hurriedly. "I don't know exactly how I contracted it. But I'm pretty sure me and my mom got it from Ted." She admitted. "Since I never slept on their bed, I figured I got it from when I used their bathroom."

"I will kill Ted." Caleb said, furious.

"Hey. No judgments, remember?" Hanna said, trying to soothe her boyfriend.

"Screw that. He gave you crabs Hanna. What kind of a pastor has crabs?!" He said disbelievingly.

"The kind who doesn't know he had crabs as well?" Hanna explained. "He didn't cheat on my mom." She began. "He said he thinks he might have contracted it from one of the volunteers at the church but he assured us that they handled the matter discreetly."

"That secret could be a little harder to do damage control on." Caleb said thoughtfully. "It involves a lot of people Hanna. We need to know who the person Ted got it from was. From there I could find a way to keep this thing a secret." He said as he held Hanna's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'll try to find out what I can from Ted. Discreetly." Hanna added when she saw the looks everyone gave her.

"Well Dani's secret involves mine." Caleb admitted after a beat. "It was the reason my mom asked me to meet her in the first place. She was involved in a hit and run accident a few years ago." He saw the surprised look on Paige's face. "She didn't tell you because she didn't want you to see her differently."

"What happened?" Paige asked breathlessly, unable to believe that her best friend was involved in something so horrible.

"She was driving home one night when this woman crossed the street when the light was green. Dani wanted to go back but she couldn't risk being caught. After all she _was_ in danger." Caleb explained. "The street was deserted so she left but she knew it wasn't the right thing to do. She called 911 but made sure the call wouldn't be traced to her and then she called her dad and my mom. In turn, my mom called me to help cover up what happened."

Caleb looked at them before continuing. "I drove as fast as I could and when I got to her, she was a wreck. She couldn't believe she left the woman on the side of the road to die just so she could keep her secret. When the news covered the accident, we found out the woman didn't make it and she left behind two kids, aged 4 and 5 at the time of her death. She was a single mom who attended night classes near the area where Dani hit her. The kids went into the system and since then we've been sending money every month to the families who adopted those kids." He shook his head. "Dani is good at hiding her guilt all this time. Ever since we found out where the families of those kids lived, she always asks me to come with her so that she could talk to the kids to apologize but I had to be the bad guy in this situation. I can't let her go to jail."

"That's some secret Caleb. If 'A' found a way to use that you guys _could_ go to jail." Paige said, alarmed.

Caleb nodded his head. "I know. That's why whenever we send the money, we make sure that there's no way it can be traced back to us. I know it won't be enough. That those kids will never get the closure they need because when they grow up, the money won't matter anymore. More than anything they would want justice for what happened but by then the statute of limitations where the accident happened would have taken effect." He said guiltily.

For a moment none of them said anything. The secrets they just revealed to each other could have serious ramifications if it got out and for the first time, they were forced to think of those consequences. Hanna looked at Paige. "What's your secret?" She asked quietly, realizing the girl hasn't shared hers yet.

Paige looked at everyone around the room before standing up from the corner chair she occupied. "I have no secrets 'A' could use." She said stoically before making her way outside, pointedly ignoring Emily.

"I'll be right back." Emily said as she went outside to follow Paige.

* * *

Emily saw Paige disappear behind the door leading to the stairwell and decided to follow her. She knew it wasn't the right time to confront Paige given the state she and Caleb were in because of Dani's condition, but she couldn't take Paige's seemingly detached exterior. She pushed the door open and saw Paige making her way to the hospital's rooftop. When she finally caught up to her, she was surprised to find a garden. A blast of cool night air greeted her and she stared in awe at the sight before her. Her eyes finally settled on Paige who was standing in front of the fountain at the center of the garden, watching the fountain lights as if mesmerized.

"What do you want?" Paige asked distantly, not even bothering to look behind her. She knew Emily followed her the moment she left Dani's room.

"I want to talk." Emily said firmly as she took a step closer to Paige.

Paige sighed. "Aren't you tired Emily?" She asked wearily, finally looking at her. "We don't talk. Lately when we're alone we don't talk. We _fight_." Paige said, defeat evident in her voice. "You're still not done? After everything you said earlier you're still not done." She said incredulously. "Okay then. Since you're not going to leave me in peace unless you get to find fault in me again for something I did just let me have it. Say everything you need to say and then _please leave me alone_."

"I know what you did. Tara told me. My friends told me. How could you do that?" Emily asked, enraged but seemingly trying her best to control the anger in her voice. "How could you be so selfish and unfair?" She began, walking closer to Paige. "How dare you decide when to walk in and out of my life the whole time you were away? You kept _watch_? You get to see me but I don't get to see you?!" Emily said, standing in front of Paige. Tears of anger and frustration threatened to spill from her eyes but she forced herself not to cry.

"I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay." Paige said quietly.

Emily snorted derisively. "I wasn't okay. You _left_, Paige. How could I ever be _okay_? You left me!" She said, the anger she felt seeping in her every word.

"I had no choice." Paige said, rubbing the sides of her forehead blearily.

"You _always_ have a choice. Because you chose to leave, remember? So why did you do it huh? Why did you keep watching over me? Did you suddenly regret your choice so you came back because you felt guilty?" Emily asked accusingly.

Paige took a step back, dazed at the words Emily said. "You think I watched over you because I felt _guilty_?! I don't regret leaving. Yes I regret leaving _you_. But I don't regret the reason I did it. And it wasn't like I did it the entire time I was away. I stopped watching over you the night I saw you and Tara together because I knew you weren't alone anymore. I stopped calling because it wasn't fair to Tara that you were holding back because of me. And it certainly wasn't fair to you that _I_ kept holding you back." She said gently, trying to make Emily understand. But Paige realized it was no use because Emily was so blinded by her anger.

Emily scoffed. "You're right. It wasn't fair. Everything you did wasn't fair Paige." She said disbelievingly.

"Newsflash. Nothing's ever fair in life Emily." Paige said stonily. "You think I _enjoyed_ standing in the shadows? To be on the outside looking in when I've finally felt like I belonged? It wasn't fair to me either. When Tara started walking you home, I had to watch every night. Even if it hurt. Because I had to make sure she would be able to take care of you. Something I couldn't do anymore because I was so consumed with rage and the need to punish myself." She said, her voice suddenly becoming hoarse as she remembered the pain of seeing Emily with someone else.

"You made the decision to leave. No one forced you. No one is blaming you for what happened so stop. Just _stop_." Emily said, fed up. "This self-pity act of yours needs to stop once and for all. No one is punishing you. The one person who can't seem to forgive you is yourself." She said forcefully. The anger and indignation she was feeling made her blind to the wounded expression that crossed Paige's features at the words she just uttered.

"Just who do you think you are, thinking you had the right to tell Tara to do those things for me _just_ to make sure I would fall for her? You practically pushed us to be together!" Emily said, raising her voice in anger. "I don't need your help moving on Paige. I am perfectly capable of doing that on my own. I just chose not to. Because I was waiting for you." She said, wiping the tears that fell from her eyes.

She bit back a sob. "You know what hurts? You know why it wasn't fair? Because while I was holding on so desperately to us you were going out of your way to let me go." Emily said brokenly, crossing her arms to her chest in an effort to comfort herself.

"Really? But I thought you fell for Tara? Finding out about what I did shouldn't upset you at all." Paige said coolly, not bothering to fight back. "In the end, you were right. You didn't need my help because you fell for her all on your own. So why are we having this conversation?" She asked, desperate to end their argument. There's only so much pain she could take.

When Emily didn't say anything she realized what the girl was asking of her. _An apology_. But Emily didn't understand the gravity of what she was asking of Paige. The indignant girl standing in front of her wanted Paige to apologize for being the way she is. She struggled to fight back the tears. _You're wrong Em. I'm not the only one who can't forgive me._

"You want me to apologize for my actions?" Paige asked dejectedly knowing she can't do that. "What do you want me to say?" She asked hoarsely. "That I'm sorry for being selfishly unselfish when it comes to you? That I'm sorry. Because all I ever wanted was for you to have a great life even if it meant someone else gave that to you? I'm sorry because I wanted you to start living your life again? Because that's why you cheated on me for the second time, remember? You felt you had to compromise mourning with me and moving forward with your life not knowing that all this time that's all I ever wanted you to do. Move forward." Paige said quietly. "But until now you can't seem to understand the lengths I would go to for you, so you thought different. Until now you still can't comprehend just how much I love you."

Paige stepped closer to Emily, willing the silent girl to look her in the eye. She needed Emily to understand that this is it. There's so much riding on what she's about to say. She needed Emily to realize that after this she's done trying. "You want me to try putting it into words? Then listen carefully because this is the only time I will say this." Paige said as she tenderly cupped Emily's cheek with one hand. "Please listen. Because I can't keep doing this." She pleaded.

"I would put you first." Paige began solemnly. "I will _always_ sacrifice. I will be the villain of the story if it means you'll get to experience and have everything that life has to offer. Because you deserve it. I will choose to walk away than keep hurting you. Even if it means it'll hurt more for a little while. I am the person who would choose to suffer in the darkness and lurk in the shadows until I am sure that you'll be fine, rather than join you in the light when I know that I am broken and spent and I have nothing left to give you. I will find the strength to do that rather than pretend that we are doing fine." Paige said, choking back a sob. "I would rather that you hate me for the rest of our lives for letting you go than selfishly hold on tight to something that isn't working anymore." She watched as tears fell from Emily's eyes and felt Emily's anger disappear. She took a step back gingerly.

"If the love that I have for you terrifies you, if it angers you and makes you hate me; if all it did is made you see me as someone who is unfair and selfish, then you were right to choose Tara. You were right to choose everyone else but me. Because everything I said doesn't even begin to describe how much I love you and I will never apologize for loving you this much. Even if it means we're not together because its immensity terrifies you, I will never stop. I don't know how." Paige admitted helplessly before trying to walk past Emily. _I have to get out of here_. _Now_.

"Wait…" Emily whispered brokenly as she tried to reach for Paige's hand in silent apology, but Paige pulled away. _This wasn't how it was supposed to go_.

With a firm shake of her head, Paige stopped Emily from saying anything. She can't take anymore of the girl's hurtful words. "It's okay. I get that you don't want the love I have for you Emily. I shouldn't have expected you to accept it in the first place. So I'm done trying. But please don't ask me to stop loving you. It's the only thing I've ever known when it comes to you." She said hoarsely before running towards the door, desperate to get away from Emily once again. She couldn't bear to be around the girl who kept rejecting the love she had always unreservedly offered to her. She had to find Dani.

* * *

"Hey." Dani said, smiling weakly as her best friend opened the door to her hospital room carefully.

Paige looked around the room and saw that Caleb was the only one with Dani. She gave him a slight nod and turned her attention to her girlfriend, giving her a relieved smile. Other than the bandage wrapped around Dani's head and the sling she wore on her left shoulder, the girl seemed to have sustained no other injuries.

"I'm gonna go get some coffee." Caleb said as he stood up, deciding to give them a little privacy.

Paige gave him a grateful smile. Sitting on the empty chair beside her girlfriend's bed, she gingerly took Dani's hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. "How are you feeling?" She asked worriedly.

"Better. Now that you're here." Dani said softly, staring into Paige's eyes.

Paige gave her a small smile, trying not to show how terrified she'd been. "Don't scare me like that again." She said quietly. "You're the only one I've got Dani." Paige whispered brokenly.

"Won't happen again." Dani promised her softly. She studied her best friend for a moment. "What happened?" She asked worriedly. Paige tried to brush it off but Dani could see she was devastated once again. Behind Paige, on the window of her hospital room, Dani saw Emily watching them from outside the hallway. _Of course_. "Did you and Emily fight again?" Dani asked gently.

Paige shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it." She said hoarsely as she laid her head on Dani's lap.

Dani bit her lower lip to keep herself from crying and gently placed her right hand on top of Paige's head, careful not to disturb the IV attached to it. "It's okay." She said, stroking the girl's hair soothingly. "It's okay. Just let it out. I'm right here." Dani promised reassuringly as Paige finally broke down into uncontrollable sobs.

* * *

_With a spring on her every step and a giddy smile on her face, Emily took the steps two at a time as she headed towards the direction of Paige's room upstairs. She was about to knock and enter when she heard voices inside._

_"Come on. Just tell me." A voice Emily didn't recognize pleaded from inside the room._

_"I am __**not**__ answering that question. It's private!" She heard Paige's voice say, annoyed._

_"I'm your best friend. I'm entitled to it." The voice reasoned out, refusing to give up._

_"What? In what universe?" Paige asked incredulously._

_"Just tell me. Have you guys done it? It's a simple yes or no question." The voice stated, ignoring Paige's question._

_"No. It's not. It's a private matter is what it is." Paige said, still refusing to give in._

_"At least tell me if she said you were good." The voice said, trying to get answers indirectly._

_A beat. And then._

_"Oh Paige your face right now is priceless! She said you were good didn't she?" The voice said teasingly._

_"Stop it. I didn't answer your question!" Paige said, obviously flustered._

_"Your face just did." The voice said smugly._

_"I was just surprised by your lack of tact. That was not an answer! What are you doing?" Paige asked, suddenly wary._

_"Fine. I gave you a chance. I have other ways of getting the answer out of you. Because you know what __**I'm**__ good at?" The voice said, the amusement evident in it._

_"Dani. Don't even…" Paige said warningly._

_"Sneak attack!" The voice yelled._

_"Crap! Get off me!" Paige exclaimed._

_"Not until I hear you laugh like a hyena!" The voice declared._

_"No! No! No!" Paige begged as she dissolved into uncontrollable laughter._

_At the sound of that, Emily didn't even bother to knock on the door. She hastily opened it and caught sight of her girlfriend and a stunning girl with strawberry-blonde hair tangled in a heap on Paige's bed. Their heads were positioned on the foot of the bed and Paige was laughing so hard they didn't even notice it when she threw open the door._

_"Tell me!" The girl ordered mock seriously._

_"Never!" Paige said breathlessly while she squirmed underneath the girl who was clearly topping her._

_"Then prepare to suffer some more!" The girl declared triumphantly as she placed her hands on Paige's sides, tickling her._

_"Stop!" Paige said in between laughs as she tried once again to get out from underneath the girl._

_"Tell me!" The girl repeated as she poised herself to tickle Paige once again._

_Emily had seen enough. "Tell you what?" She asked hoarsely, finally finding her voice._

_At that, the two girls on the bed stopped what they were doing and Paige hastily pushed Dani off her, her face turning beet red._

_"Em." Paige said breathlessly as she stood up and got out of her bed._

_"Uh, am I interrupting something?" Emily asked, trying to seem unconcerned to what she just witnessed. She stared at the girl sitting on Paige's bed that was tying her hair into a ponytail and caught her looking at Paige. Her stomach turned into knots._

_"What? No. Don't be crazy. Come in." Paige said hurriedly as she walked over to Emily and took her by the hand, gently pulling her inside. "Emily, I'd like you to meet my best friend, Danielle York." She said, quickly making the introductions._

_"Ugh." Dani said, rolling her eyes as she got off the bed._

_"I meant __**Dani**__ York." Paige corrected as she briefly glanced at Dani before shifting her attention back to Emily. "Dani, this is my girlfriend Emily Fields." She said proudly, not taking her eyes off the girl beside her._

_"Hi." Dani said, giving Emily a tentative wave. "I've seen you around but this is the first time we've been officially introduced."_

_"Hi." Emily replied, giving the girl a small smile. "Paige did mention you once to me. It's nice to finally put a face to the name." She said as she continued to study the __**very**__ attractive girl in front of her. __**Although she forgot to mention you happen to look like that.**_

_They stood in awkward silence for a beat until Dani finally spoke up._

_"Okay then. Before this room explodes with tension, I guess I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. I'll see you later P." Dani said as she placed her hands on the front pocket of her denim cutoffs and bounded out of the room, closing the door behind her._

_"P?" Emily asked when Dani was out of earshot as she turned to look at a blushing Paige._

_"Yeah. That's what she calls me." Paige said as she led them to her bed. She guided Emily to sit on the edge of it while she opted to sit on the floor to face her girlfriend._

_They stared at each other for a moment until Emily looked away. She didn't want to say it but she wanted Paige to know. "She's in love with you." She whispered as she began fidgeting with the bedspread, refusing to meet Paige's gaze._

_"Em." She heard her girlfriend say reluctantly and she finally looked at Paige, realization dawning on her._

_"And you know it." She said, her heart starting to race. She swallowed hard. __**This is the worst love triangle to be part of.**_

_"Yeah." Paige admitted grudgingly, never taking her eyes off Emily._

_"Since when?" She asked, biting her lower lip. She was trying to control the jealousy she was feeling._

_"Since we were kids. It's not a big deal." Paige said reassuringly but Emily wasn't comforted._

_She scoffed, looking away. "Of course not. It's not like you're in love with her right?" She asked anxiously, failing to seem indifferent to the whole notion of a best friend being in love with her friend for years._

_"Right. Em, I __**promise**__ I never did anything to make her think otherwise." Paige said firmly as she took Emily's hands in hers but Emily still won't meet her girlfriend's eyes._

_They sat in silence for a moment until Paige decided to admit something._

_"I'm in love with you." She said quietly, finally making Emily look at her._

_"What?" Emily said breathlessly, her heart starting to hammer wildly. Her hands were probably clammy but Paige didn't seem to notice it._

_"I love you." Paige said empathically, giving her a dazzling smile. "Emily, I'm yours." She said humbly as she closed the distance between them by kneeling in front of her girlfriend. Paige touched Emily's cheek tenderly while her other hand made its way to Emily's waist. "I won't lie; it's nice to see that you can still get jealous when it comes to me..." She began, grinning widely._

_"What? I'm not jealous." Emily declared, shaking her head vehemently. "I'm not." She repeated, trying to convince herself._

_Paige decided to let the matter drop. She laughed and hugged affectionately the clearly overly jealous girl sitting in front of her. "Okay. But in case you are, I just want you to know that you have nothing to worry about. __**Ever**__. You're the only girl for me Emily Fields." She whispered sincerely in her ear, finally making Emily wrap her arms around Paige's neck._

_"Okay." Emily said quietly as she closed her eyes and rested her head on the crook of Paige's neck. __**She loves me.**_

_Paige kissed the spot below Emily's ear before looking at her girlfriend. "Okay. Let's go, we don't want to be late for the movie." She said as she stood up and extended a hand for Emily to take before gently pulling Emily up from her bed. "Here, wear this." Paige said as she took the jacket she placed on the back of her chair. "It's cold out and you forgot to bring one again." She said as she gently lifted Emily's hair off her shoulders while Emily put on the jacket._

_Satisfied that they weren't forgetting anything else, Paige walked over to the door and held it open for Emily. She furrowed her brows in confusion when Emily stopped in front of her._

_"What? Did you forget something?" Paige asked worriedly as she looked around her room._

_"Yeah. This." She said breathlessly. Her heartbeat racing a mile a minute, Emily closed the distance between them and pulled Paige by the waist, giving her girlfriend a soft, lingering kiss._

_"Just to be clear, I love you too." She said emphatically._

**_88888_**

_"I think we should've watched some other rerun film." Paige declared as she and Emily walked hand in hand along the well-lighted streets of Rosewood._

_"My Best Friend's Wedding was okay." Emily said half-heartedly as she intertwined their hands and gently swayed it back and forth._

_"Then why were you squirming in your seat the whole time we were watching it?" Paige asked softly, studying her girlfriend from the corner of her eye._

_"No I wasn't." Emily protested, shaking her head firmly._

_Paige sighed and she stopped walking, halting Emily's movement as well when she refused to let go of her girlfriend's hand. "I thought we talked about this? Em you have nothing to worry about. Dani is no Julianne Potter." She said, squeezing the other girl's hand reassuringly._

_"Are you sure?" Emily asked anxiously, biting her bottom lip, not quite meeting Paige's eyes. She can't believe she was still so jealous._

_"Well no." Paige said hesitantly to tease Emily but it completely backfired. Emily hurriedly removed her hand from Paige's and started to make her way down the street alone._

_Silently cursing herself, Paige hurriedly ran after her girlfriend and grabbed Emily's hand gently. "I'm kidding." She said apologetically as Emily turned to face her. Emily didn't even bother to hide her jealousy this time and Paige felt helpless. She didn't want Emily to feel this way ever again._

_"Come here." Paige said softly and smiled when Emily immediately stepped into her arms. She placed a soft kiss on her girlfriend's head and stroked her hair gently. She chuckled after a beat. "You're lucky." Paige said quietly._

_Emily looked at her in confusion. "Why?" She asked._

_"Because there won't come a time that you'd ever have to fight for me." Paige said as she brushed a strand of hair away from Emily's eyes and gave her a kiss on the forehead._

_"Why is that lucky?" Emily asked, still confused._

_"Because you seem __**so**__ reluctant to do so." Paige said chuckling._

_"You think I'm not willing to fight for you?" Emily asked, pulling away from Paige. __**How could she think that?**_

_"I think it isn't necessary because there is no reason to." Paige said as she took Emily's hand in hers and they began walking again._

_"Why'd you say that?" Emily asked, looking at her girlfriend as they rounded a corner._

_"Because you'd never, ever lose me." Paige declared quietly._

_They walked in silence for a while before Paige spoke again._

_"But it'd be nice to know that if by some bizarre twist of fate that day comes, you'd be willing to do so." She said faintly, her voice barely above a whisper._

* * *

Emily struggled to fight back the tears as she placed the bow she made for the box that held her unsent letters to Paige. She thought about leaving it behind but at the last minute she changed her mind. She didn't want the letters out of her sight.

Carefully, she placed the box in front of her and hugged her knees to her chest as she sat on her bed, trying to control her sobs. Paige's heartfelt declaration by the fountain hours ago of the immensity of her love for Emily made her realize that she's going to lose her forever if she doesn't do anything about it. Paige was adamant on giving up on them for Emily's sake. She can't let that happen.

_I guess this counts as the bizarre twist of fate, Paige. Please tell me it isn't too late._

Exhausted, she lied down on her side, her back to the door, and hugged the box of letters to her chest, terrified to let it go. The letters held the truth about the years they spent apart and she needed Paige to have it. She needed Paige to forgive her and take her back. And she needed Paige to understand something.

"Em? Hey. There's pizza downstairs if you're hungry. And there's some leftover seafood pasta. We can reheat it if you want." Aria's worried voice startled Emily. She didn't hear the knock and the sound of the door opening and she hastily wiped the tears from her eyes.

"No thanks. I'm not hungry." She answered without looking at her friend.

Aria heard the tears in Emily's voice and hesitated for a second before entering the room and closing the door behind her. Going around the other side of the bed to face Emily, she sat on the floor and gently wiped the tears from her friend's face.

"You'll get her back." Aria said, her voice breaking when she saw how terrified and sad Emily was.

"What if she doesn't want to be with me anymore? I hurt her so much." Emily whispered miserably.

"Do you want to let her go?" Aria asked quietly as she touched the box Emily held tightly to her chest.

Emily shook her head vehemently.

"Then make her listen. It's going to be fine." Aria said soothingly.

"I need her back." Emily admitted brokenly as Aria moved to hug her helpless friend.

* * *

"Seriously. You guys. I'm fine." Dani said exasperatedly as she watched Paige and Caleb move about the room.

"We just want to make sure you're comfortable." Caleb struggled to get the words out as he and Paige wrestled to move the long couch to create more space for walking around.

"I _was_ comfortable. Now I'm _un_comfortable." Dani said, shaking her head as she smiled at the two people who care about her so much. "Come on. Sit. Rest. Fill me in on what I missed." She said, pointing to the couch they were moving just a second ago.

Paige and Caleb finally obliged and sat on the couch but they didn't say anything, not wanting to stress her out. Dani noticed their hesitance and rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine." She assured them. "The doctor said it's a mild case of retrograde amnesia. Sooner or later I'll remember what happened moments before I fell. But until then, do this girl a favor and keep me in on the loop." Dani pleaded.

Caleb looked at Paige before finally telling Dani what happened after she fell up to the point of when they decided to reveal each other's secrets in an effort to be at least one step closer if not ahead of 'A'.

"I wish you told me about the hit and run Dani." Paige said quietly when Caleb said that was the secret he revealed about them.

"I didn't want you to change the way you see me." Dani admitted. "What I did was a horrible thing. Even if it was an accident and I called 911, I killed someone and because I was in hiding I had to leave her behind. I've wanted to own up to the accident for so long but Caleb and our parents won't let me." She said, looking at her brother.

"That wouldn't change things." Caleb insisted.

"Her children would have closure." Dani argued. "I know that's what I would want more than the financial support we keep sending them." She said quietly. "Caleb, the longer we try to keep this secret, the riskier it becomes. Every day that passes is another day we give 'A' the chance of finding out about it."

"Then I'll take the fall." Caleb said adamantly. "If that day comes I'll take the fall. I won't let you go to jail Dani. I'll tell them I was the one behind the wheel."

Dani looked at Caleb in surprise. "No. You can't do that. You've already done enough." She said, shaking her head ruefully.

"Then enough talk about this. I am doing everything I can to make sure that secret won't be used against us." Caleb said, knowing it was wrong but refusing to let his conscience take over.

Paige stood up and walked over to Dani, smiling at her reassuringly. "We're still friends Dani. What happened doesn't define who you are for the rest of your life." She said as she squeezed her girlfriend's hand lightly.

Dani smiled at her gratefully. "Where are the others?" She asked, suddenly remembering they came to the Hamptons with five other people.

"Hanna said Tara went back to Rosewood yesterday morning." Caleb answered, getting up as well. "As for Hanna and her friends, they went home to get some rest. Spencer had to take care of the lease to the house. She's trying to get a hold of the owner. We're extending our stay until the doctors say it's safe for you to travel." He explained as he stood beside Paige.

"You guys should rest a bit too." Dani said, noticing the tired expressions on their faces.

Paige touched her knee reassuringly. "We will. Once they get here, Caleb and I will go home for a bit, get some shuteye, and _maybe_ take a shower." She said jokingly. "Then we'll come back."

"They're here." Caleb said as they all looked up when they heard a knock on the door. Caleb gestured for Hanna to come in before turning his attention back to Dani.

Dani watched as Hanna carefully opened the door all the way, letting herself in, followed closely behind by Spencer, Aria and Emily. She noticed the change in Paige's posture the minute Emily walked in. Her best friend who just moments ago stood by her bedside with a relaxed posture and an easy grin suddenly became stoic, her face becoming detached. Dani squeezed Paige's hand in an effort to break her stupor.

"The cavalry's here." Dani said, giving Paige a small smile. "You and Caleb should head home, get some rest, and _take a shower_." She said teasingly. "I promise I'll be here when you get back." Dani said reassuringly.

Paige nodded and looked at Caleb. "I'll see you outside." She said quietly as she slowly made her way to the door. "Excuse me." Paige said hoarsely when she saw that Emily was standing in front of it.

"I'm sorry." Emily said, her voice catching in her throat as she moved to let Paige out. She was apologizing for more than just standing in the way, but she somehow can't find the right words to say it.

Dani watched their interaction in silence, oblivious to the chatter around her. She watched as Emily followed Paige's retreating back and knew it was time.

"Paige and I will be back before you know it." Caleb said as he touched Dani's shoulder lightly. "Until then these girls will keep you company."

"I'll walk you out." Hanna said as she moved to follow Caleb outside.

"Sorry. I need to take this." Spencer said apologetically when her phone rang. "Might be the owner of the house." She explained as she headed out the door as well.

"Hey Aria, do you mind getting Dani a yogurt drink or a soya milk and some mangoes or bananas? It's supposed to be good for patients who just had a brain injury. I think there's some in the hospital cafeteria." Emily said, never taking her eyes off the girl sitting on the bed.

"Yeah. Sure. I'll be back as soon as I can." Aria said, making her way towards the door.

"Take your time. And take Hanna with you." Emily said as she gave Aria a grateful smile.

Once Aria left the room, Emily locked the door behind her and faced Dani. "We need to talk." She said determinedly.

Dani nodded her head. "Yes we do."

* * *

"We'll be quick." Paige promised as she alighted from the front seat of the van.

She and Caleb didn't tell Dani about their plan before heading home to return to the place of the accident. They wanted to search the place for any clues that could lead them to whoever pushed Dani down the stairs.

"It's a good thing no one leased this house while we're here." Caleb said as he followed Paige towards the front door.

"I know." Paige said as she walked beside Caleb. "Since we already met the owners when we came here the first time, it was pretty easy to convince them to let me rent the house for a few days even if it seemed so sudden. I told them they didn't need to clean it up; they could leave it just the way it is since I planned on throwing a small get-together anyway. I said I'd clean up after." She said as Caleb gave her a disbelieving smirk.

"Nice." He said as he tapped Paige on the back. They hurriedly made their way inside and stopped short when they saw the dried blood near the stairs. "I'll clean this up." Caleb offered when he saw the dazed look on Paige's face. "Start looking. Go." He said, gesturing towards the direction of the stairs.

Paige nodded and quickly made her way upstairs, glancing on the dried blood one last time before taking the steps two at a time.

* * *

Emily timidly approached Dani's bed and stood beside her, nervously biting her lower lip. She and Dani were rarely left alone and if they have anything in common, that was their mutual desire to avoid each other as much as possible. But now, standing face to face with Paige's best friend/girlfriend, Emily decided she needed to talk to Dani about Paige. _I can't stand it anymore. I need her back_. "How are you feeling?" She asked sincerely.

Dani touched the dressing around her head gingerly and managed to give Emily a small smile. "Headaches come and go, but otherwise I'm feeling better." She answered before gently nodding her head to the chair beside her bed. "Sit. This could take a while."

Emily took a step back to pull the chair closer to Dani's bed before sitting down. "You and Paige fought again while I wasn't around didn't you?" Dani asked wryly, studying Emily. "I leave her alone for a few hours and you managed to break her heart all over again. How did you do that?" She asked disbelievingly.

Emily swallowed hard. "I said some things." She began. When Dani didn't say anything, she continued. "She blamed herself for what happened to you, just like she blamed herself all these years for not being able to save her parents from the accident. But she didn't stop there. She said because she chose me again you almost died. That she came back for me and you wouldn't be in this mess if she didn't do that. I'm tired of being used as an excuse Dani." She admitted brokenly. "No one blamed her for what happened to her parents except herself. She felt responsible for their deaths and your accident and she felt the need to punish herself because of it. But she wasn't the only one who suffered because of her self-pity. I felt like I was being punished as well because she decided that the price of her actions was our relationship."

Dani shook her head disappointedly. "You told her she needed to stop with her self-pity?" She asked sadly. "You probably don't understand her right now like I do but that doesn't mean you should stop trying." Dani explained. "Paige never told you the story of how we met did she?" When Emily shook her head, she continued. "I had an older brother. Not so many people know or remember because he died when I was 5." She began. "He was turning 8 the day he drowned trying to save me. I was caught in a riptide and he came to my rescue. He was a strong swimmer. He told me what I had to do to get out of it. Before I did I said I was sorry and he said he forgave me. And that he would see me on the shore. He said he was right behind me. So I swam furiously. When I finally reached it, I turned around and he was gone. He didn't make it." Dani said, the pain of reliving how she lost her older brother suddenly coming back to her.

"On the day of his funeral, I couldn't get myself to go inside the church. I blamed myself for his death. I felt like my parents couldn't even bear to look at me or be in the same room with me." Dani suddenly smiled at the memory. "I was sitting on one of the swings in the park across the church when this girl came up to me. She said I had nice hair before introducing herself. That was the day I met Paige." She said, giving Emily a weak smile. "She was the one who convinced me to go inside because I would regret it if I never got to say goodbye to my brother. She held my hand the entire time I stood in front of his casket. After that she firmly pulled me to the direction of where my parents sat weeping and she told them timidly that while my brother knows they will never stop loving him just because he's gone, I also needed to know that they will never stop loving me because of it. And then she said that losing a child is hard, but losing a brother is hard too and that we needed to be there for each other to make it." Dani said as she tried to wipe a tear that fell from her eyes. "That's how remarkable Paige is."

"I got to say I'm sorry." Dani explained. "Moments before my brother died I got to say I was sorry. I was forgiven. My parents forgave me. Even if not one of them blamed me, I needed that." She said, trying to make Emily see where she was going with this. "It wasn't self-pity Emily. What Paige felt all these years ever since that accident? It wasn't self-pity. She was filled with self-hatred because not one of you forgave her. She felt remorse and the desire to be forgiven not just by her parents but by _you_." Dani said emphatically.

"For what?" Emily asked, confused.

"For everything." Dani said, knowing it was hard to comprehend. "Paige needed to know that what happened wouldn't make you love her less. That the love she has for you which made her save you that night was something you can accept, because what happened that night changed her because of its immensity. But that even if what happened changed her you would still be there. And that the person she became since then will still be good enough to be with you."

Emily suddenly felt lightheaded. "I made things worse by telling her that if she kept insisting that everything that happened was because she kept choosing me, then it was better that she let me die the night of the accident instead." She confessed, her voice barely audible as she looked everywhere but at Dani.

"Oh no." Dani said, shocked. "Emily. Why would you say that?" She asked disbelievingly.

"Of course I didn't mean it. I was just fed up." Emily admitted, finally meeting Dani's gaze. "Dani it's not fair that she kept blaming every consequence of her actions to keeping me safe and alive."

"I know that." Dani said, trying to make Emily understand that she isn't taking Paige's side. "Paige has a tendency to find fault in herself. I guess growing up feeling she wasn't good enough made her feel that way. But like I said, she needed you to forgive her for what happened. Saying she should've let you die that night was like telling her you couldn't."

"How was I supposed to know all of this? I'm not a mind reader. And in case you didn't notice your best friend isn't one to ask for help. I tried to be there for her Dani. But she kept shutting me out. I didn't love her any less after what happened and I tried to hold on to us for as long as I could. Even after she left me." Emily said, hurt.

"Don't take it personally Fields. In her mind she needed to find a way for her parents to forgive her. That's why she left. That's why she's still trying to find answers. It's not just because she thinks she could have done something to save them, it was because she thought her parents had no reason to be there. That holds true for you as well. She thought if she hadn't gone missing that day then the accident wouldn't have happened." Dani explained gently.

"That's my point. She can't stop blaming herself." Emily said exasperatedly.

Dani gave her a patient smile. "Well it's easier said than done. Emily, if someone you love was taken right in front of your eyes, would you be able to stop reliving that moment over and over again?" She asked quietly. "Would you be able to stop obsessing about every detail? Stop thinking about what you could have done differently? Stop thinking of the events that happened before that precise moment, thinking if you did something different that day, like maybe took a detour or helped out a stranger, would things have been different?" Dani said, trying to make Emily understand.

"I went through the same thing she did. That's why I understand why Paige is this broken. But that's where our similarities ended. Because unlike me, Paige thought she had no one. She didn't want you to suffer more than you already have. You know how she is. She got so used to dealing with things on her own. She's trying to let people in, but sometimes, when things become too hard to bear, it's easier to stop fighting and revert to your old ways." Dani said quietly.

"This needs to stop Dani." Emily said resignedly. "Paige needs to stop feeling this way about herself."

"Then _help_ her. Will you two please stop fighting and just talk?" Dani said exasperatedly. "Emily, why are we really having this conversation?"

"I want to talk to her but I don't think she wants to be around me anymore." Emily said quietly.

Dani studied Emily thoughtfully. "Because that wasn't the only thing you guys fought about didn't you? Paige wouldn't have been that devastated last night if that was the only thing you argued about." Dani observed.

When Emily didn't say anything, Dani realized what happened. "You finally found out. What Paige was doing the first few months she was away? And as expected, you got mad at her. It's a natural reaction Fields. But once you let Paige explain I thought you'd understand." She said cautiously.

"I didn't at first." Emily said quietly. "I was so mad that I didn't listen until she finally asked me to. When I confronted her about it I said it wasn't fair that she got to see me when I would've given anything just to catch a glimpse of her." She confessed, the pain of finding out what Paige did coming back to her.

Dani sighed. "Then you were missing the whole point of why she stayed hidden. She didn't watch over you because she missed you or she wanted to see you." She began. "I'm not saying she didn't miss you because she did. Every second." Dani said hurriedly. "But Emily you know she's not some horrible person who took pleasure in having the advantage of seeing you knowing you miss her too." She explained patiently. "You think Paige liked seeing you the first few months she was away? She'd rather not. It would have been easier for her to not look back when she left. But she wanted to make sure you found someone, so she waited, and watched. Like the other times she watched when you left her." She said softly.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, confused.

Dani gave Emily a rueful smile. "You know why I didn't like you all those years? It's not just because you took the one person I've always loved. It's because you can't seem to see the worth of what you took from me." She began.

"Ever since you finally noticed Paige, you kept leaving her behind. You were always the one who walked away and while Paige tried to put on a brave face I knew she was in pain. Before you guys got together steadily, every time you came back to her, Paige told me she knew it was wrong but she was actually waiting for the other shoe to drop. She felt like you weren't sticking around. You were just waiting for someone to come along and when that day finally came, each time you walked away Paige was left having to find a way to let you go. She had no other choice because she can't give you what you want and she knew that. So she watched. Just to make sure Maya and Samara were indeed what you wanted. That's why when Tara came into the picture, she had to watch too.

She continued when she was sure she still had Emily's attention. "The last thing she wanted was to see you fall for someone else but she knew, like those other times, that she can't give you what you wanted at the time. The only difference is, this time she thought she was the one who decided to walk away from you, not knowing something already happened between you and Tara when she was in Radnor." Dani explained without any hint of judgment in her voice.

"So you see, what you did? Cheating with Tara and then lying all this time about it, hurt Paige more than you know because she actually came up to the girl and told Tara how to take care of you. At that time she saw Tara as someone trustworthy. Someone who could make you happy again. So the knowledge that you cheated on her with Tara was like a slap to the face because Tara was already taking care of you even before she was out of the picture." Dani said quietly. "To her it felt like you already left her. That you already found someone you wanted again and she didn't even know she already lost you."

"It was never like that with Tara." Emily said, shaking her head. "I never felt that way about her. She became a friend. That's all. She was there when I needed someone to talk to. Someone who didn't know about the accident because I was tired of seeing the same look people gave me every day. I wanted to be around someone who didn't look at me with either pity or admiration for being the perfect girlfriend when I was anything but." Emily confessed.

"You make a habit of making out with your friends?" Dani asked, smirking.

"That was a mistake. Paige and I already talked about it." Emily said defensively.

Dani nodded. "You did. And she forgave you the next day. Which is why it came as a surprise to me and especially to Paige when you pushed her away and chose Tara over her. Especially when you said so yourself just now that it was never like that between you and Tara. So what aren't you telling me?" She asked, feeling herself starting to get mad. She didn't let Emily speak. "Are you really _so_ terrified of Paige's love for you that you'd rather go back to the girl you cheated with?" Dani asked incredulously.

"Emily, stop holding back your feelings for Paige. Stop doubting whether Paige will stop loving you and stop feeling the need to be perfect for her because Paige loves you in spite of your flaws. Paige fell in love with you because your flaws made you who you are. She didn't see your perfection Emily. She saw your imperfections and looked past it. She loves you for trying." Dani said quietly.

"Do you even know why I'm with Paige? Even if I knew she really wanted to be with you? It's because I can't let you walk in and out of her life anymore. I know she cares about me so she wouldn't hurt me intentionally." Dani explained. "That's why I decided I would be her reason why you won't be able to come back in her life again. Not unless you're certain. Because unlike those other times that she was just waiting for you, this time I was in the picture. But it didn't work because you still found ways to hurt each other." Dani smiled ruefully. "I still can't protect her heart from you because even if you're not saying anything, your mere presence is enough to break it."

Emily lost the battle to hold herself together and finally broke down. "I did it to protect Paige." She said in between sobs.

Dani's brows furrowed in confusion. "Did what?" She asked.

Emily stood up and took out her phone before approaching Dani's bed. Wordlessly, she showed the message 'A' sent her the night Paige came by her house. "I love her so much Dani." Emily said brokenly. "I didn't choose Tara. I just couldn't choose Paige the way she wanted me to." She said in between sobs. "I almost lost her twice."

"So why are you here? If you did it to protect Paige and staying away from her is the only way to keep her safe, why are you here?" Dani asked, trying to get Emily to say what she wanted to hear. "You didn't answer my question earlier. Why are we really having this conversation? What do you want?" She insisted.

Emily forced herself to stop crying. "I want you to set her free." She said, looking Dani straight in the eye.

"Why? What makes you _so_ sure she'll come back to you once I do?" Dani asked, still waiting to hear something from Emily.

"I'm not. But I'm not asking so that she'll return to me. I'm asking because I'm going to ask her to take me back and if there's even a small chance she will, I need to know you're willing to give her up. Because that's something I could never do." Emily said earnestly.

"Last night Paige's words reminded me why one of us has to keep holding on. I can't stand being away from her anymore. Paige may be strong enough to do it but not me. I need her back. So please tell me you can do it. If 'A' wants to come after her then I will be there beside her when it happens." She said quietly. "She can't keep on sacrificing Dani. She needs to understand that I'm not going anywhere. Not this time. I know it took me a while to realize it but she's my one." Emily admitted hoarsely.

_And there it is_. "Well it's about damn time Fields." Dani said, satisfied.

"So you can do it? You can set her free?" Emily asked anxiously.

"You're forgetting something." Dani said quietly. "It's still Paige's decision in the end. If she wants me to let her go then I will. But if she doesn't…" She gave Emily a rueful smile. "I'm sorry but I won't."

* * *

"I come bearing gifts." Paige announced once she entered Dani's hospital room. Beaming at her girlfriend widely, she went over to Dani and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before sitting on the chair near her bed. "The doctors said you could have mashed potatoes and ice cream. I figured you'd like the ice cream better." She said as she took the pint of ice cream out of the paper bag and showed the flavor to Dani. _Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough_.

Dani smiled at her wistfully. "Thanks." She said, trying to commit to memory the past few days she and Paige spent together as a couple.

She struggled to stop herself from breaking down as she watched Paige open the pint of ice cream, scooping some and placing the spoon in front of her. Wordlessly, she opened her mouth and ate the ice cream, smiling at Paige. Paige grinned at her and scooped some for herself.

"Where's Caleb?" Dani asked, looking outside the window of her hospital room.

"Having lunch with Hanna and the others." Paige said, scooping another serving of ice cream and feeding it to Dani. Dani ate the ice cream, trying to convince herself that she was tearing up because of brain freeze. "I told him I was actually looking forward to spending some alone time with you so he went with them to grab some lunch." Paige said before eating another scoop of ice cream herself.

Dani cleared her throat. _Here goes nothing_. "So. Emily and I had a chance to talk while you and Caleb were out." She began. "All this time we got it wrong. She showed me the text 'A' sent her. She was threatened Paige. She had to kiss Tara or 'A' is going after you." Dani explained.

Paige shrugged. "Okay. I guess that explains what I saw then." She said nonchalantly, trying to make sense of everything that happened since then. Emily's behavior explained what happened that night. But not everything else after.

"That's it?" Dani asked incredulously. "That's your reaction? _Oh okay, I guess that takes care of that_?" She said, shaking her head. "Paige, this is the _love of your life_ we're talking about."

"What do you want me to say?" Paige asked, annoyed. "What's done is done Dani. Am I still hurt about it? Of course I am. Having them come at me is better than seeing her with Tara." She admitted, starting to take her frustration out on the pint of ice cream she held in her hands.

"Come on P, lately you guys may be fighting all the time but the girl still loves you. You're deluding yourself if you think she'll let that happen. What, you're the only one who can make sacrifices for love?" Dani asked disbelievingly.

"Why didn't she stop with the kiss then? Why did she have to say those things to me?" Paige asked, the pain and hurt evident in her voice.

"It was a game Paige. She had to pull Tara in and push you away. That was the rule." Dani explained gently.

"Well there's such a thing as overkill." Paige said adamantly.

"Paige, two can play that game. The longer you stuck around fighting with her the more ammo you gave her to push you away. You need to talk to her. Talk. Don't shout, don't fight. Please. I think you should give it another try Paige." Dani said, trying to hide the pain of saying those words.

"No." Paige said, shaking her head vehemently. "I can't. Those things she said..." She began.

"She didn't mean them. She had to find a way to push you away because she was terrified that 'A' would get to you this time." Dani said, trying to make Paige understand Emily's actions.

"I didn't mean that night Dani. I meant since that night. Ever since we got here, those things she said, I can't bear to hear those words again. I don't want to. She's so full of anger and bitterness towards me. It's better this way." Paige said quietly.

"You're not happy with me." Dani said the words she knew Paige didn't have the courage to tell her.

"I can try." Paige insisted.

Dani chuckled humorlessly. "Did you hear what you just said? You never had to try with Emily. I love you Paige. I don't think it's going to go away anytime soon. But why try to be happy with me when it comes naturally when you're with Emily?" She asked, smiling at her best friend sadly.

"But I thought we decided to try?" Paige asked, refusing to risk her heart again.

"We did. And we failed. I don't regret being your girlfriend Paige. I will never forget these past few days because somehow I finally got you to look at me. After all those years. I know you care about me. But we have to admit that we work better as friends. You and Emily, ever since you guys officially broke up, all you ever did was fight." Dani said quietly. "You and I will eventually find a way to be friends again because that's what we were good at. But you and Emily will never find a way to just be friends because it will never be enough."

"Then I guess we'll spend the rest of our lives as strangers." Paige said faintly. "She doesn't want the love I have for her Dani. She hates me for loving her this much. I told her I was done trying to make her accept it." She uttered resignedly as the words Emily said in the bathroom and the hospital rooftop came back to her.

"Are you?" Dani asked quietly. "Or are you just saying that to convince yourself that you're capable of giving up when it comes to her?" She said sadly. "Paige, I'm not saying the love you have for her isn't great. Because it is. And I wish someday someone could love me that way too. But the love Emily has for you is great in its own way. Trust me on this; you need the love Emily has for you."

Dani gave her best friend a faint smile. "You need someone to remind you that you are worth holding on to. That sometimes, letting go is not the only answer. Because you can't always let go Paige. You can't always sacrifice. Sometimes, even if it hurts like hell, you fight for it. You hold on tight because you know that somewhere down the road it will still work. And that's what Emily is capable of. That's the kind of love she is offering you. I know it might seem hard right now but you guys will eventually find a way to make it work. She's ready to accept the love you have for her. I saw it. But it isn't a one-way street. You have to be willing to let her love you the way she does too." Dani said gently.

When Paige still won't say anything, Dani continued. "Paige, it's your decision. If you can honestly tell me that you've given up on Emily, and that you really want to be with me, then I won't let you go. But if you have to lie to convince yourself that you're done trying, because you know with absolute certainty that it's always going to be her, then I won't stand in the way. So what's it going to be?"

* * *

"Why do you have a picture of Ali?" Hanna asked, the confusion evident in her voice as she took the photo Caleb held in one hand while he fished for the keys to the van in his pocket.

"Who?" Caleb asked distractedly as he tried his other pocket this time. _Damn these deep pockets_. He thought to himself, annoyed.

"Ali." Hanna repeated, waving the photo in front of Caleb.

"That's Ali?" Caleb asked in surprise as he looked at the photo he and Dani took from Alan Moore's house.

"Yeah. She has the same photo in her room. I saw it." Hanna said as she returned the photo to Caleb.

Caleb took the photo and furrowed his brows, baffled. _Why would Alan Moore have a photo of Ali?_

"Hello, earth to Caleb." Hanna said, waving a hand in front of her boyfriend. "What's up with you?" She asked worriedly.

"Nothing." Caleb said, giving her a small smile. "I'm just trying to figure something out."

"Well, you didn't answer my question. Why do you have Ali's baby picture?" Hanna asked as she leaned on the wall beside the door of Dani's hospital room.

"I'm not sure myself." Caleb admitted, confusing Hanna further. "I'll tell you when the time is right." He promised as he gave the keys to Hanna.

"Suit yourself." Hanna said, shrugging. "Are you sure you don't want to grab dinner with us? Dani said she's going to be fine being alone for a few hours." She said as she took the keys from him, prying herself away from the wall.

Caleb shook his head as he stared at his sister inside her hospital room. "She needs me right now." He said quietly. "Besides, I already had lunch with you guys earlier today. Dani gets me tonight." Caleb said, trying to make Hanna understand. "Go. Have fun with Aria and Spencer. Enjoy the Hamptons. At least some of us should." He said, touching Hanna's arm briefly.

Hanna gave him a grin. "Okay. I'll bring you some leftovers later then." She promised as she checked her watch. "Shoot. I have to go; we're going to meet Jason since he's treating us." Hanna said before giving Caleb a quick kiss on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." Caleb said earnestly. "Be careful out there okay? And don't mention Ali's photo over dinner. I need you to keep it between us for now."

"What photo?" Hanna asked innocently, earning a grateful smile from Caleb.

With a wave, he turned his back to Hanna and went inside Dani's room. His sister looked up from the magazine she was reading on her lap and stared at Caleb in surprise.

"I thought you guys were grabbing dinner?" Dani asked as she closed the magazine and placed it gingerly on the bedside table.

"They are. But I decided to stay in." Caleb said as he closed the door behind him and approached Dani's bed. "Move over." He said quietly.

"Caleb, you don't have to do this. Seriously. I'm fine." Dani said, fighting the urge to cry. She didn't want Caleb to comfort her because she didn't want to break down.

"I don't doubt that you'll be fine eventually." Caleb said softly. "Tomorrow you can go back to being fine." He said as he sat beside Dani and gently placed one arm around his sister.

Dani swallowed hard and nodded her head once. She suddenly felt exhausted. Moving closer to Caleb, she rested her head on his shoulder and let out the tears she'd been trying to hold back the minute Paige left her.

* * *

Paige took a deep breath when she finally reached the safety of the room she shared with Dani. Exhausted, she plopped face down on the bed and groaned inwardly. Tonight she managed to break her best friend's heart all over again. _Way to go Paige. You're __**so**__ gonna win the best friend of the year award_. She turned over and looked at the ceiling, watching absentmindedly as the trees cast shadows in the dark room. She tried to think where everyone was right now. Dani was in the hospital, crying because of her. Caleb is probably with her, plotting in his mind how to make Paige pay for hurting his sister. Hanna and the others were probably out having dinner somewhere. She was all alone. It was probably better that way. Reluctantly, she got up and felt her way around the room, looking for a change of clothes. Finally finding her stuff, she rummaged through her things and eventually settled on a set of grey stripe racerback pajamas. Quickly changing into it, she went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, looking forward to ending the day by retreating to the safety of the bed she shared with Dani. She was about to settle in when there was a hesitant knock on the door. _So close_. Paige thought as she went to the door to see who was in the house other than her. _And of course you have to stand in my bedroom door wearing that_. Paige thought once she opened the door to see Emily in a pair of black satin boxer pajamas. The top somehow only had one buttonhole which was conveniently found on her chest, leaving the area below it exposed. Paige willed herself to stop looking at the smooth skin that was Emily's stomach and instead tried to look impassively at the girl standing in front of her.

"Hey." Emily said nervously, her hands behind her back.

"Hey." Paige replied, her voice hoarse.

"Did you talk to Dani?" Emily asked anxiously.

Paige nodded her head wordlessly as she positioned herself between the door and the jamb, one hand gripping the door handle, willing her heart to stop pounding so wildly.

"So you know. About the text. Why I kissed Tara?" Emily asked, biting her lower lip nervously.

"Yeah." Paige said quietly.

"Why I said those things to you?" Emily continued hesitantly.

"Which ones? There were so many I eventually lost count." Paige answered coolly.

"The ones I said after you saw me and Tara." Emily clarified, willing to apologize for every hurtful word she said to Paige if it meant the girl will take her back. "I was trying to push you away." She explained.

"And you couldn't have thought of a better way to do it?" Paige asked incredulously.

Emily swallowed hard. "At the time, no. I couldn't. I panicked. If you hadn't seen the kiss I would have done things differently." She said hurriedly.

Paige gave her a dry laugh. "Am I supposed to feel reassured by that?" She asked, hurt.

Emily shook her head, the movement sending her silky raven hair cascading around her shoulders. "No. You don't have to feel anything. I wasn't trying to make you feel better because however you looked at it I still would've hurt you if it meant keeping you alive. I just want a chance to explain. Please." She pleaded. When Paige didn't say anything, Emily continued. "Paige, everything I said that night was a lie." She began.

"Everything I said weren't." Paige said frankly.

"I know. That's why I wanted you to have this." Emily said quietly before revealing what she was hiding behind her, a medium-sized rectangular tin box with a yellow bow on top. "It's sort of my birthday gift to you." She said nervously.

"What's in this?" Paige asked quietly as she accepted the box, not looking at Emily.

"The truth. The answers to your question." Emily admitted timidly. "The one I never answered that night. If you didn't leave... will I still tell you about the kiss?" She said, her heart pounding wildly. She had to make Paige listen. "I know that isn't exactly the answer you're looking for but if you asked if I would have told you about it sooner then yes. _Seven hundred and twenty one times_ _yes_." She began as Paige placed the box on top of the dresser in her room that was beside the door. "A few days after you left I wrote you a letter and I told you about the kiss. The next day I wrote another one, and another, and another until I had seven hundred and twenty one unsent letters to you. All of those were confessions about the kiss. I want you to have it." Emily pleaded.

"Anything else in those letters I should know about?" Paige asked softly.

Emily felt Paige's attitude towards her start to soften and she felt encouraged. She nodded her head. "The stuff about feeling pressured to change for you. I didn't mean it. It's in there too. It may seem like I hate trying to be better but being with you makes me hate not wanting to be. I hate not trying for you because your unwavering belief in me made me see the person I can become. Made me want to become that person." Emily confessed.

"I'm sorry for what I said in the bathroom. I didn't mean it. I just got so frustrated." She said, starting to apologize for her role in their argument the entire day yesterday.

"Because it wasn't enough that after all these years I still can't stop blaming myself, now I had to drag you into my damaged world by using you as my excuse for my actions. I get it." Paige said quietly.

"No. You really don't." Emily said firmly, refusing to allow Paige to stop her from saying what she needed to say. "I got frustrated because I still can't get through to you. Paige, even if I don't understand what you went through, what you're going through, I want to try. But you have to help me. I know I shouldn't have said those things to you especially when in your mind you let your parents die so I could live. I don't want you to think that I regret surviving. That your parents died in vain. And that I loved you any less after what happened." Emily said softly. She saw how much those words meant to the vulnerable girl standing in front of her and continued. "I'm sorry if my actions in the past made you feel like you weren't good enough. Because the truth is I'm the one who isn't good enough for you. You deserve better." She said sincerely.

Paige furrowed her brows, shaking her head vehemently. "Don't say that. Don't ever think of yourself that way. I don't want someone better if that someone isn't you." She admitted firmly.

Emily felt herself starting to tear up. Maybe it isn't too late. "Then don't ever think that you're not good enough for me too. Because it hurts me that you thought you had nothing left to give. That you had to have something to give to be with me. Paige you're presence in my life is enough. You're more than enough." She said, trying to close the distance between them.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear nervously. "You said you were willing to sacrifice for me. Well you're not the only one who can make sacrifices for the person you love Paige. I'd rather get used to staying apart rather than not see you at all. So the night I decided to kiss Tara and push you away I chose you. By choosing Tara I chose you." Emily said, trying to make Paige understand.

"So why are you here?" Paige asked hoarsely.

"The immensity of the love you have for me changed my mind." Emily said humbly. "I'm not as strong as you are when it comes to letting go. I can't stand being away from you anymore and I refuse to let 'A' keep us apart." She said emotionally. "I'm so sorry it took me this long to realize that I need the kind of love you have for me." She admitted, her voice breaking. "I need someone who loves me so much that they always want what's best for me. Even if it means making a huge sacrifice. But because of your selflessness when it comes to me you forgot something else. What about you?" Emily asked brokenly.

"What about me?" Paige asked, looking away.

"What about your happiness?" Emily asked, willing Paige to look at her.

"It doesn't matter." Paige answered faintly, finally looking at Emily.

The girl's words brought a pang of sorrow to Emily. Just when she thought she could ask Paige to take her back, the girl seemed reluctant to do so. _It can't be over_. "I realized last night that I need the kind of love you have for me. But when will you realize that you need the kind of love I have for you?" Emily asked sadly.

When Paige didn't say anything, Emily took a deep breath and decided it was her turn. "I may not be as good as you when putting into words how much I love you but I'll try. So it's your turn to listen this time." She began. "I know the lengths you'd go to just to let me go. When you think it isn't working anymore and that I'm hurting because of it, I know you'll find the strength to walk away." Emily said, smiling softly.

"But you see, I'm not like you. And I think it's a good thing too. That I would rather hold on. I won't let you give up on us without a fight because I know for certain that it will still work out." Emily said unwaveringly. "Because even if we changed so much, when our feelings are this strong and real we'll find a way to make it work. Someone I love so much told me that not too long ago."

She gave Paige a sad smile. "This is how much I love you." She whispered softly. "You think you're beyond damaged. That you're broken and spent so you'd rather dwell in the darkness. Well I am the person who would join you in that darkness and choose to be your light instead." Emily said as she choked back a sob. "You may want what's best for me. But I need you to understand that everything else comes in second when it comes to you. You said you'd always put me first. So if I tell you that right now what I want is you, what I need, is you, will you still let me go? You won't take me back?" She asked breathlessly.

Emily took another step closer to Paige until her foot was almost inside Paige's room. She took a deep breath. This was it. "Am I too late? Did I lose you forever? I want to know." Emily said, her voice hoarse. "That night you came to my house you chose me. Can you tell me if you can do it again? Choose me? Take me back? Can you please just take me back?" Emily asked, a sob escaping her lips. "Because I love you. _So much_. And I don't know how to stop. And I can't take it anymore. You said you came back for me. So I'm here. And you're here. And you said you came back..."

Without warning, before she realized what was happening, she felt Paige's warm hands touching the smooth skin on her stomach, gently, firmly pulling her close. It was pure bliss. The feel of Paige's lips on hers. Tears of happiness fell from her eyes unbidden as Emily gasps and instinctively wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, pulling herself closer to her, wanting every part of their body to touch. The years they spent apart seemingly disappeared and the world seemed to stop as their tongues dueled, unleashing the pent up emotions they've kept at bay. Emily inched herself closer to Paige. Even if they were gripping each other tightly, the space between their bodies non-existent, it didn't seem enough. Paige felt herself getting lost in Emily's kisses but she musters enough strength to pull herself away for a brief moment. Staring into Emily's eyes, she finally saw the love she had all these years for the girl she was holding in her arms clearly reflected in those eyes. She found that moment again. _Certainty, bliss_. Touching their foreheads together, she gently wiped a tear that fell from Emily's eyes. She moved to kiss Emily once again but not before she uttered the words she wanted Emily to hear.

"Emily, you never had to ask." Paige said with bated breath before capturing Emily's lips on hers once again, gently pulling her inside the room and closing the door behind her.


	11. Trigger

**DISCLAIMER**: _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters = yeah, still never mine. Characters in this fanfic except for maybe a few belong to PLL. Some events in this fanfic were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL so I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~Sobbing. Because of all your AWESOME, AWESOME reviews about the story! Again, apologies for posting only one chapter each week.~**

**~Story's going to be done the day 3b starts so the chapters are going to be quite lengthy. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and following it.~**

_**EyeOpener16**_**: Thanks again for your amazing PM review!~**

_**Shokoshik**_**: Thanks for your amazing PM review **_**and**_** for telling people on Twitter last week to read my fic!~**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Trigger**

_**"Each meeting occurs at the precise moment for which it was meant. Usually, when it will have the greatest impact on our lives."**_** – Nadia Scrieva**

Desire coursing through her veins, Paige unbuttoned Emily's top and slid the smooth material off the girl's shoulders, savoring the feel of Emily's smooth skin on her fingertips as she did so. She didn't know which was smoother, the silk top Emily was wearing or her skin. She didn't have a chance to put much thought into it once she saw that Emily wasn't wearing anything underneath her top. Wanting to feel every inch of the raven-haired beauty, she cupped Emily's breasts in her hands and heard herself moan in pleasure with Emily as she rubbed the girl's hard nipples. Deepening their kiss, she felt Emily's hands on the hem of her top and willed herself to stop fondling Emily's breasts to raise her arms when she felt the girl lift the material off her body, breaking their kiss momentarily. Paige caressed Emily's cheek, touching their foreheads together before hungrily capturing Emily's lips on hers once again as they made their way towards the bed. Paige hooked her fingers on Emily's boxer pajamas, tugging it down as she felt Emily's arms around her neck, pulling her closer as their tongues dueled.

Heart hammering madly, Emily was pleased to see that Paige wasn't wearing anything underneath her top as well. She ran her hands from Paige's neck to her chest, letting her hands linger there for a moment to caress the girl's breasts, moaning at the feel of Paige's breasts in her hands as the girl gasped in her mouth. Taking advantage of Paige's reaction, Emily deepened the kiss and won the battle as she thrust her tongue deeper, forcing her hands to continue their journey until she reached the girl's waist. She took pleasure in feeling Paige's body against hers once again, being able to hold the girl in her arms the way she wanted ever since Paige returned.

"I love you." Emily whispered breathlessly as she began tugging on Paige's pajamas, making the skin on Paige's stomach hum as Emily divested Paige of her bottom clothing, the girl's feather-light touch making Paige's heart hammer. "So much." She uttered as she deepened their kiss once again. Emily heard her own breathing becoming ragged and forced her hands to stop trembling in anticipation.

"I love you too." Paige said hoarsely as she placed one hand around Emily's nape, using it to pull the girl closer to her as she captured Emily's lips on hers once again, her other hand making its way inside the only cumbersome material Emily was wearing as she cupped Emily's ass and pulled her so close she could feel the wetness between the girl's thighs.

"Fuck." Paige said breathlessly when Emily suddenly shifted and placed her wet core against Paige's thigh. She moved her hand to fondle Emily's breast while she used her other hand to pull Emily closer to her, wanting the other girl to feel how much she wanted her as well. Emily thrust her tongue deeper into Paige's mouth as she began to rock against the other girl's thigh, hooking her fingers on the band of Paige's underwear as she tried to get rid of the cumbersome material. Paige's body jerked when she felt Emily strip her of her last item of clothing and the movement brought Paige's soaked center against Emily's thigh, making the raven-haired beauty moan in pleasure.

"Not fair." Paige uttered huskily as she placed her hands on the band of Emily's underwear and eagerly divested the other girl of her drenched piece of clothing once they reached the foot of the bed. She pushed Emily backwards and gazed with overwhelming love and desire at the naked beauty lying on the bed in front of her. Emily's raven hair splayed in such a way that made Paige feel like she was staring at a goddess. Paige felt her breath hitch when she saw the intense love and lust in Emily's eyes.

"You're so breathtakingly beautiful." Paige whispered reverently before joining Emily on the bed, positioning herself on top of Emily as she hungrily captured the other girl's lips once again.

* * *

"I am _so_ full right now it was imperative that we walked that dinner off." Spencer said as she groaned before looking at the person walking beside her. "We can't thank you enough though. I knew having someone who has lived here for quite some time take us out to dinner was the right decision." She said, giving her brother a grateful smile.

After treating them to dinner at one of the best diners in the East Hampton area, she, Hanna and Aria decided to walk around town with Jason to try and enjoy the village at night. It was still early and she noticed Jason's reluctance to go back to the marina so she suggested that they take a walk to pass the time.

"No problem." Jason said as he ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't realize until yesterday how much time I've spent on my boat with Lucy. I haven't been around other people for quite some time so tonight was a welcome change. Thanks for calling Spencer." He said, smiling at his sister gratefully.

"Yeah well I figured since you're here, might as well catch up." Spencer said, shrugging before returning her attention to the direction they were walking.

"It's a good thing that you guys got a hold of me just before we set sail actually." Jason admitted as he turned to look at Hanna and Aria behind them to include the two in the conversation. "It gave me a reason to spend a few more hours on land before it's just me and Lucy again. Especially right now. I'm really not looking forward to being surrounded by water with someone who's in such a foul mood." He said guiltily.

"Maybe you should have convinced her to join us. Being around other people might cheer her up. Forget the bad news." Hanna said as she linked arms with Aria.

"I tried persuading her but she felt she wouldn't be good company so I have to apologize for her." Jason said ruefully.

"I can't imagine how she must feel right now." Aria said sympathetically "Finding out she wasn't pregnant was hard but being told in the same day that you could never have kids is really devastating." She said as she studied Jason closely.

"Yeah. Especially since she was so excited about the whole idea of becoming a mom." Jason said disappointedly.

"Well you can always adopt. Or have a surrogate. There are other ways to have a kid now." Spencer suggested, trying to lift Jason's mood.

"I tabled that discussion for another day. She wasn't in the mood to hear about options right now." Jason explained as Hanna and Aria fell into step beside Spencer.

"It's just a lot to take in right now. Give it a few days." Aria said reassuringly.

"I know. Sorry I'm putting a damper on our otherwise great dinner tonight." Jason said, taking a deep breath before smiling at them.

"It's okay. Really. Where were you guys headed anyway?" Spencer asked.

"We don't know yet actually. There's some minor stuff we still need to take care of but after that we might go somewhere warm. Maybe go to the Bahamas or something. It might cheer her up." Jason answered.

"I want to go to the Bahamas someday. Or to a Bahama. If it's too expensive to tour the entire island." Hanna chimed in.

"Well if you're not too queasy or you don't get seasick easily, maybe one day you guys can go there on my boat. I have no problem letting you guys use it. It's better than air travel. It might be a little slower but there's nothing quite like the view of the sunrise and the sunset on the horizon. It's magnificent." Jason said confidently.

"Yeah I have no objection to sailing if the view is as gorgeous as you made it sound. Maybe someday we'll take you up on that offer. What's the name of your boat anyway?" Aria asked casually.

"Charles I." Jason said proudly.

"What, like the king of France?" Spencer asked in confusion.

"Like the king of France." Jason confirmed.

"You named your boat after a king of France?" Spencer asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Yeah. What's wrong with that?" Jason said defensively. "I've always been fascinated with him. He built an _empire_. How could you not be impressed with that?" He asked, trying to get them to appreciate the name of his boat.

"Wow. I didn't know you had a knack for history." Aria said, distracted.

"Not really. I just took a course in college and I was hooked. Everything about Charlemagne I mean." Jason quickly clarified.

"Well I'm definitely keeping that name in mind. When you get a chance to visit Rosewood one of these days maybe you could give us sailing lessons for that trip to the Bahamas." Aria said, making a mental note of the boat's name.

"Yeah, sure. If Lucy and I ever return to Rosewood I'll let you know." Jason said noncommittally.

They walked in silence for a while before he spoke again. "Oh, hey, how's your friend doing by the way? Caleb's sister?" Jason asked, concerned. "Since you guys found the time to invite me to dinner I'm guessing she survived the surgery? What happened to her anyway?"

"She hit her head when she fell down the stairs." Hanna explained. "But you're right. The surgery was a success. Although she suffered a clavicle fracture from the fall so her arm's in a sling right now. And the doctor said she has retrograde amnesia so she doesn't remember what happened to her before the accident."

"Well since it's just retrograde it'll come back to her eventually. The important thing is she's alive." Jason said reassuringly. "How's Caleb doing?"

"He's fine. He's with her right now. Kinda didn't want to leave her alone after what happened." Hanna said as they neared the spot where she parked the van earlier tonight.

"Well who could blame him? You spend a weekend here to enjoy yourselves and then something like that happens." Jason said understandingly. "So I guess you're extending your stay here?" He asked.

"Yeah. Probably until the doctor clears Dani for travel. But she seems to be recovering quite fast so maybe in a day or two we can go home." Spencer said as Hanna moved to unlock the doors.

"Well if that's the case then I have to say goodbye tonight." Jason said reluctantly. "I'm setting sail with Lucy early tomorrow so I guess I'll be leaving this place sooner than you guys."

"We can give you a ride to the marina if you want. We don't mind." Aria offered.

"Thanks but it isn't necessary. I can use the walk. Give me some more time to think." Jason said, giving them a small smile. "Besides, it's only a few blocks away from here. You guys should go ahead. It's getting late. Have a good night." He said as he stepped back to let them get inside the van.

"Have a good night too. And tell Lucy we look forward to meeting her someday." Aria said as Hanna started the van.

"I'll tell her that." Jason nodded before giving them a wave and turning his back to continue walking the rest of the way.

* * *

Emily slowly opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness. The sun's early morning rays cast a soft glow all over the room and she rubbed her eyes sleepily. Getting up slowly, she brought the bed sheet to her chest when she realized she was naked underneath and looked around her. Realizing where she was, a slow grin spread across her features before turning to look at the space beside her. When she saw that it was empty, she felt her throat constrict. _Where's Paige? Did she think last night was a mistake?_ She tried looking everywhere for a note but she found none. Starting to panic, she was about to get up and look for Paige when she heard the door open gently. Looking up, she saw Paige enter the room, trying her best not to make a sound as she tried to balance on one hand a tray of food, unaware that Emily was already awake. Emily felt herself starting to tear up. _It wasn't a mistake_.

"Hey." Emily said in greeting, her voice catching in her throat as she watched Paige close the door behind her. _Breakfast in bed. You never forgot._

Paige looked up in surprise before breaking into a dazzling grin. "You're awake." She said softly as she walked over to the bed and placed the tray of food on the bedside table.

Sitting beside Emily, she gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Emily's ear and lovingly cupped the side of her face with one hand before giving the girl a soft, lingering kiss. "Good morning beautiful." Paige said tenderly when she finally pulled away, smiling widely.

At those words, Emily wrapped her arms tightly around Paige's neck. "I was afraid you thought last night was a mistake." She whispered hoarsely, seemingly terrified to let go of Paige.

Paige gently wrapped her arms around Emily's waist and took a deep breath, kissing the spot below Emily's ear before whispering. "Of course not. I'm right here." She said reassuringly. She felt Emily nod her head furtively and smiled. "Watch out Rosewood, the 'IT' couple is making a comeback." Paige said jokingly.

Emily quickly pulled away from Paige and shook her head, looking at her hands. "I don't want to be a part of the 'IT' couple anymore. I just want to be Paige McCullers' girlfriend again." She said quietly.

Paige felt her heart soar with joy at the words Emily just uttered. She inclined her head to the side and gently touched the tip of Emily's chin, forcing the girl to look at her. "Good. Because I don't want to be a part of the 'IT' couple too. I just want to be Emily Fields' girlfriend again." Paige said reassuringly, giving Emily a soft smile. "Caleb and Hanna could takeover for us for all I care." She said lightly before kissing Emily on the cheek. "So, what do you want to do today?" Paige asked, briefly kissing Emily on the lips twice before looking at her. She willed herself to stop kissing the naked girl sitting in front of her but she can't seem to think of a good reason why she should. She almost forgot how stunning Emily looked when she wakes up in the morning. Especially after nights like the one they had last night. "I just need to swing by the hospital later to check on Dani but I'm all yours the entire day."

_I definitely like the sound of that_. "Where's everyone?" Emily asked nonchalantly as she ran a hand through her hair and looked at the tray of food Paige set down.

"Caleb and Hanna didn't come home last night." Paige answered while leisurely running her fingers up and down Emily's arms, unaware of the effect it was having on Emily. "He stayed the night at the hospital with Dani and Aria said after their dinner last night with Jason, Hanna went back to the hospital to stay with Caleb."

"And Spencer and Aria, where are they?" Emily asked breathlessly, trying hard to concentrate on the conversation as Paige continued to languidly run her fingers up and down her arms. She forced herself to stop staring at Paige's lips.

"They already left. Aria was just finishing her breakfast when I came downstairs a while ago and she said Spencer was in the shower. She wanted to get an early start before going to the hospital later. They're going to the art gallery first before meeting with Hanna and then they're spending the day enjoying the Hamptons." Paige explained. "Do you want to come with them?" She asked as she stopped what she was doing to get Emily's phone from the bedside table.

Emily instantly missed the contact and shook her head. "No. I've spent enough time with them already. I want to spend the day with you." She said softly as she stopped Paige from getting her phone, taking the girl's hand in hers instead. Paige looked at her and smiled, nodding her head. "So... we're all alone now? Emily asked shyly.

"Yeah. So. What do you want to do?" Paige asked again, seemingly oblivious to Emily's mischievous grin.

Emily bit her lower lip timidly before wrapping her arms around Paige's neck once again. Smiling shyly, she leaned in close and whispered something in Paige's ear before kissing the blushing girl soundly on the lips.

Paige gave Emily a playful grin before gently wrapping her arms around Emily's waist from underneath the sheet, the feel of the naked girl's exquisite skin on her fingertips making her heart hammer wildly. She pulled Emily close to her and started to leave a trail of kisses from Emily's ear to her neck. "I meant aside from this." Paige whispered huskily as she continued to kiss Emily's neck. "What do you want to do after this?" She asked as Emily moved closer to her and leaned her head to the side, giving Paige more access to her neck.

Emily closed her eyes and felt herself getting lost in Paige's languid kisses, her breathing instantly becoming ragged. "We'll think of something later." She said breathlessly before eagerly meeting Paige's lips with hers, letting Paige gently push her back on the bed once again as their slow kisses quickly became heated.

* * *

"So you and Paige went back to the house and didn't find anything that can tell us what happened before I fell?" Dani asked as she tried to wrap her mind around what Caleb told her. "Not even a clue as to what I found?" She asked in disbelief.

Caleb shook his head as he stood up and walked over to Dani's bed. Earlier, he told his sister that he and Paige returned yesterday to the house Ali stayed at to look for clues but their search didn't shed any light as to what really happened to Dani moments before she fell.

"Paige looked everywhere upstairs but she didn't find anything that was out of place so wherever you found whatever it is that you found, you're the only one who can tell us." Caleb said reluctantly. "I heard the scuffle before you fell so I knew there was someone with you upstairs. We figured that person hid in one of the rooms near the landing because you didn't see them coming that's why your guard was down. But as to what it was that you wanted to show us before that, we didn't find anything. Most probably the person took it with them. From the excitement in your voice when you called out to us it seemed pretty huge." He said, unknowingly making Dani frustrated.

"I'm sorry I can't remember what it was." Dani said apologetically. "If I was so excited to show it to you and Paige I really must have hit the jackpot." She said absentmindedly before a look of recollection crossed her features.

"What is it?" Caleb asked worriedly when he noticed Dani furrow her brows. "Does your head hurt?"

"No." Dani said quickly. "It's nothing. It's just, for a while there I thought I remembered something." She admitted uncertainly.

"What?" He asked gently, trying not to push Dani too hard.

"Something I said before I fell… about hitting jackpot. I can't..." Dani sighed heavily before closing her eyes in frustration.

"Hey. Don't push yourself too hard. It'll come back eventually." Caleb said, concerned.

"Yeah. But what if it's too late?" Dani asked helplessly. She didn't want to let Paige down.

"Then we'll find another way to catch them. Don't force yourself to remember. We have other leads we can pursue for now." Caleb said reassuringly. When he noticed that Dani was getting restless, he decided to change the subject. "Listen, I talked to the doctor. He said you can go home tomorrow."

"That's good news." Dani said, finally giving him a small smile. "I can't wait to get out of this place." She admitted.

"I know. The doctor said you're recovering quite well even with the amnesia so he can discharge you. He's going to refer you to another doctor in Rosewood so you can recuperate there. We'll leave in the afternoon." Caleb stated before placing his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. He hesitated before continuing. "Don't panic. But I had to call our parents and tell them what happened." He said gently.

"What? Why did you do that?" Dani asked, starting to do exactly what Caleb told her not to.

"Well we needed to pay the bills." Caleb explained. "Don't worry. It's all taken care of. I told them it was an accident and that you're recovering nicely." He said hurriedly.

"I just don't want to worry them." Dani admitted.

"I know. But we didn't have any choice. We wouldn't have been able to pay the bill if we didn't tell them." Caleb reasoned out.

"You're right." Dani agreed reluctantly. "I just want for this whole thing to be over. I want to see my dad." She said miserably.

"Don't worry. We'll work twice as hard once we return to Rosewood. I promise." Caleb said, giving her a reassuring smile. He took a deep breath before telling her about something he decided on last night. "Dani." Caleb began quietly.

"Yeah?" Dani asked, looking at her brother expectantly.

"I want to talk to you about your living situation with Paige." He said. "Once we return, I want you to live with me until this is all over." Caleb said firmly. "I have an extra room and I promise I won't feed you frozen dinners. I know how much you hate those." He added, trying to lighten their conversation.

"Caleb..." Dani said grudgingly.

"Come on. She and Emily got back together. I know you two are best friends but you're trying to get over her, right? Well, living together, sleeping in the same bed, that won't help matters." Caleb insisted. "And I don't think Emily will be too comfortable with the thought of you and Paige sleeping in the same bed considering you two finally went beyond the 'friends zone'." He said, trying to make Dani understand that he's right. "Besides, I want to be able to take care of you. This way, I won't have to worry too much. I _did_ promise our parents I'd look after you... your dad's going to kill me if something else happens to you." When Dani didn't say anything, Caleb sighed. "You know I'm right Dani." He said quietly.

"Yeah. Okay. I'll talk to Paige when she gets here." Dani said unenthusiastically.

"You mean now." Caleb corrected when he saw Paige and Emily alight from the elevator, holding hands as they made their way towards the door.

"What?" Dani asked, confused.

"They're here." Caleb said as he nodded towards the direction of the door.

_They?_ "Oh." Dani uttered, suddenly getting tense. _Paige __**and**__ Emily_. She swallowed hard, willing her heartbeat to stop racing. She thought she could handle seeing Paige after their breakup last night but now she realized it was too soon. She wasn't ready to face her best friend. But seeing Paige _with_ Emily today was definitely way, _way_ too soon. She didn't have time to process things however once she heard the hesitant knock on the door. She forced herself to stop looking so flustered and steeled herself for their interaction when Paige opened the door cautiously.

"Hey." Paige said in greeting, her voice hoarse.

"Hey." Dani replied, suddenly at a loss as to what to do next. They stared at each other for a while before she finally cleared her throat. "Well don't just stand there P, get in." She said, trying to sound upbeat.

Paige entered the room and stood in front of Dani, not quite knowing what to do next. Beside her, Emily stood, her hands to her sides, making sure she wasn't standing too close to Paige. They knew they were being silly but they didn't want to be insensitive. Before they went inside, Emily extricated her hand from Paige's saying she didn't want to make Dani uncomfortable. She knew how hard it was for the other girl to set Paige free.

_Well this is awkward_. Caleb cleared his throat. "I'll go be somewhere else then." He said, silently cursing himself for being unable to come up with a decent excuse.

Once Caleb closed the door behind him, Paige swallowed hard and started fidgeting. "I'm, uh… not sure…" She began, looking everywhere but at Dani.

Dani decided to handle the situation. "Yeah. It's a little weird. But... if it isn't awkward then it wasn't real, right?" She said, giving her best friend a small smile, forcing her heart to stop hammering so wildly.

"Right." Paige nodded, still unable to form a coherent sentence.

Dani swallowed hard. "So. I think it's safe to assume that you two got back together last night. Finally." She said, trying to move the conversation along. "You came in here together and Paige is anything but devastated. So. Are you two back together?" Dani asked, trying not to seem so devastated.

"Yeah. Thanks Dani." Paige said as she finally took Emily's hand in hers, smiling at Dani sincerely.

Dani felt her throat constrict. _I need to move out_. "Well I'm glad I could help." She said, giving them a grin, hoping against hope that her voice wouldn't betray her pain. "Now please do us all a favor and never ever break up again? Please? This version of you two is better than the fighting one." Dani said lightly.

"Done." Paige promised sincerely as she looked at Emily.

"Emily, may I talk to Paige alone?" Dani asked, shifting her gaze to the girl who never said anything since they arrived.

"Yeah. Sure." Emily said, giving Dani a tentative smile. "I'll wait for you outside." She said to Paige before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Paige smiled in contentment at their brief contact. "Okay." She said softly, giving Emily's hand a firm squeeze before finally letting it go.

* * *

"Hey." Aria greeted Emily once the girl closed the door behind her.

"Hey." Emily said, smiling as she greeted Aria and Hanna.

"Sorry we didn't wait for you this morning. I was in a hurry and we figured you and Paige wanted some alone time." Aria said apologetically.

"It's okay. Really." Emily answered reassuringly. She didn't mind being alone with Paige. Not at all.

"So. You two are finally back together." Hanna said, grinning at her friend.

Emily felt herself blush. "Yeah. We are. We're back together." She said quietly, trying to get used to saying those words out loud. It still felt incredibly surreal. "Where's Spencer?" She asked suddenly, noticing the absence of her other friend.

"Downstairs. Talking on the phone with Trent." Hanna said, rolling her eyes.

"He's not trying to cause trouble is he?" Emily asked worriedly.

"I think he's trying to win her back." Aria answered wryly. "Listen, that's what we wanted to talk to you about. I think we have a problem." She said anxiously.

"Another one? What is it this time?" Emily asked unenthusiastically.

"I don't know what to make of it yet actually. But I think Jason's lying." Aria said quietly.

Emily furrowed her brows in confusion. "Weren't you guys with him last night? Spencer invited him to dinner after you two ran into him the other day." She said, still wondering what Aria was getting at.

"That's the problem." Aria admitted.

"How is that a problem?" Emily asked quizzically.

"He said the reason he was here at the hospital that day was because his girlfriend was here, getting checked out because they thought she might have been pregnant." Aria explained.

"Yeah, so?" Emily asked, still waiting for the problem.

"While he and Spencer were talking, I started reading the names of the doctors listed in the directory downstairs." Aria began. "I saw the name of the OB Jason wrote in the forms he was filling up when Spencer asked him about it. That's why I was looking at the names. I was trying to find out where her office was out of curiosity."

"And?" Emily asked impatiently.

"I accidentally bumped into her while we were looking for Hanna and Caleb. She said she was running late." Aria revealed tensely.

"What's wrong with that? Doctors usually come in late especially when they're coming in from a medical emergency." Emily reasoned out.

"That's not the problem. Jason made it sound like his girlfriend was already with the doctor. He said _they're_ probably looking for him." Aria said, trying to make her friend see the problem.

"But why would he lie about that?" Emily asked, starting to get anxious.

"I don't know." Aria said, shrugging. "And I don't want to tell Spencer about it yet. It's probably not a big deal. Right?" She asked, looking at Emily and Hanna nervously. "Unfortunately the OB isn't in today so I couldn't ask if his girlfriend was indeed here that day."

"Or if he even _has_ a girlfriend." Hanna corrected, finally joining the conversation. "I mean, we've never seen her. The day Jason decided to set sail and live on his boat was the day he first told Spencer about Lucy." She said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Wait, when did Jason set sail?" Emily asked urgently.

Aria bit her lower lip in concentration before answering. "Come to think of it, I think it was the day Paige…"

"Spencer!" Emily exclaimed in warning when she saw her friend alight from the elevator behind Aria and Hanna.

"Hey guys." Spencer said in greeting, trying to seem upbeat.

"Aria said you were talking to Trent just now. How'd it go?" Emily asked worriedly.

"Talking?" Spencer said sarcastically. "More like shouting. He kept on insisting that he left his wife for real this time and said he needed to see me." She said as she pocketed her phone.

"What did you say?" Hanna asked.

"I said no of course. The last thing we need is 'A' seeing me with him and using it to further ruin my already ruined life." Spencer said resignedly.

"But do you want to get back together with him?" Aria asked cautiously.

"He and his wife are expecting. I am _not_ going to get involved in that mess." Spencer said firmly. "I have enough drama in my life as it is."

"But…" Hanna began.

"But nothing." Spencer insisted. "He lied to me. Now can we please talk about something else?" She asked them rhetorically before directing her attention to Aria. "Can we go now? I _really_ need to get drunk."

Aria nodded, stealing a quick glance at Hanna and Emily. "Yeah. Let's go get you that drink." She said cautiously. She turned her attention to Emily. "What about you Em? You want to come with us?" Aria asked despite knowing the answer.

Emily shook her head. "No. You guys go ahead. I'm spending the rest of the day with Paige." She said, breaking into an elated smile when she heard herself say those words.

"It's good to see you so happy again Em." Spencer said sincerely.

"Well I really am." Emily admitted, her voice catching in her throat. "I don't think I've ever been in love with Paige this much." She confessed earnestly as she turned to watch the girl who found it in her heart to take Emily back last night.

* * *

Once Emily closed the door behind her, Paige turned her attention back to her best friend, aware that the girl was observing her closely.

Dani studied Paige for a moment before speaking again. "It's good to see you so happy again." She said sincerely. "I got so used to seeing the dark side of you for the past two years I almost forgot the effect of Emily's presence on you." Dani said as Paige took a seat on the chair beside her bed.

"What do you mean?" Paige asked, confused.

"Being happy doesn't mean you have to smile all the time, P. It just shows. Told you, you never had to try for Emily." Dani said quietly.

Paige gave Dani a small smile before taking a deep breath. "I'm really sorry." She finally blurted out.

"Hey. I had a good cry last night. Just to get it out of my system." Dani said dismissively. She didn't want to talk about what happened last night and she was counting on her best friend to take the hint. _Please Paige_.

Paige nodded. "So, how're you feeling today?" She asked, changing the subject.

Dani sighed gratefully. "Less headaches. The doctor said I can go home tomorrow." She said, sharing her only good news.

"That's great." Paige said sincerely.

"That we're returning to Rosewood?" Dani asked wryly.

"That you're getting out of the hospital." Paige clarified apologetically.

"I was kidding." Dani said hurriedly. _This really sucks_. She looked at Paige sadly before continuing. "Anyway, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Caleb asked me to live with him once we return to Rosewood. And I accepted his offer." She said quietly.

"Dani…" Paige protested.

"Paige, come on. We'll always be friends. Eventually I don't doubt that we'll find our groove again. But right now please understand. Living under one roof, seeing you everyday and sleeping in the same bed with you is torture for me." Dani began. "I _have_ to get over you Paige. I want to." She admitted sadly. "I don't want to keep feeling this way. Especially when there isn't any doubt in our minds that you and Emily are together for good."

When Paige didn't say anything, Dani sighed. "You have a girlfriend Paige. And I'm your ex. Because though it was brief, I _was_ your girlfriend." She said, the words cutting deep. "Remember what you told Emily the day we arrived? When she told you that we could live with her? Remember why you refused? You said having your ex-girlfriend live with you under one roof is a deal breaker with your current girlfriend. Well I don't think Emily is going to be thrilled when she realizes that once we get back nothing will change. You two are still enjoying the feeling of getting back together so it hasn't sunk in yet. But our living situation just became complicated. Caleb reminded me of that before you arrived and well, just now, with you and Emily standing in front of me, I was sold on the idea. You can't honestly tell me that nothing's changed between us." Dani said softly. "You have someone in your life who without a doubt, one day is going to be your new best friend, which is the way things are supposed to be."

Paige finally spoke up. "I just can't imagine not seeing you when I wake up." She admitted sadly. "For the past two years I got so used to it and it greatly comforted me knowing that I have my best friend through all of this"

"I know. But I think it's time you woke up next to the one you really wanted to see when you opened your eyes." Dani said sadly.

"Dani just because you're moving in with Caleb doesn't mean I'm moving in with Emily." Paige argued.

"Please P, you gotta understand." Dani pleaded.

"I do. And I agree. I just... I'll miss you." Paige confessed.

"I'll miss you too. But we'll still see each other around Rosewood and it's not like we're done chasing 'A'." Dani said, trying to make Paige feel better. "It's just that, for the first time since all of this happened it's not just you and me anymore. Fields is back in your life. And don't tell her this because I have a reputation to protect but I'm really glad she's a part of your life again." Dani said sincerely.

* * *

"So Dani's moving in with Caleb once we get back." Emily said quietly as she moved her hair to one side before leaning against Paige, enjoying the feel of the other girl's body against hers.

After spending the rest of the day walking around town, she and Paige grabbed an early dinner and then headed to the beach, deciding they didn't want to end their day yet. Finding a spot near the water, Paige sat on the cool sand while Emily decided to sit in front of her, positioning herself in between Paige's legs.

"Yeah. Until this whole thing blows over. I guess I just got the room all to myself." Paige answered as she wrapped her arms around Emily's waist. She could almost feel Emily's smooth skin underneath the soft fabric of the open-back cover-up dress the girl was wearing and she let her hands splay across Emily's stomach before kissing the girl's exposed neck softly.

"I'm really sorry." Emily said after a beat, moving a little from her position between Paige's legs, half-turning her body so she was facing the girl and the ocean as well.

"For what?" Paige asked, staring in confusion at Emily.

"For pushing you to be with her." Emily said, looking down. "If I didn't kiss Tara that night, none of this would have happened. You'd still have your best friend and your relationship with her wouldn't be this complicated."

"Well how about we stop being sorry for everything, stop blaming ourselves and just admit we made mistakes. We can't keep looking back Em. We're getting a chance at another fresh start." Paige said softly, moving one hand from Emily's waist to tuck a loose strand of hair behind the girl's ear, letting her hand linger there for a second.

"I know. It's just that... after everything that's happened, you _did_ date her for a week." Emily said hesitantly.

"Yeah. I'd be lying if I said it isn't awkward or hard." Paige admitted. "When I decided to start dating her, I didn't think about what would happen when we broke up eventually. I didn't realize when we had to revert to how things used to be everything would be so..."

"Different?" Emily finished as she leaned her body against Paige's once again. She felt Paige tenderly kiss the top of her head and smiled when the other girl rested her chin on her shoulder.

"Yeah." Paige sighed, making the girl in her arms shiver at the feel of Paige's warm breath near her ear. Paige pulled Emily closer, enjoying the feel of Emily's skin against hers.

"Do you regret dating her?" Emily asked after a moment of silence.

Paige took a deep breath before answering. "I regret how we began and ended." She admitted quietly. "Even if my feelings for her weren't enough to make me give up on you, I don't regret trying to be with her."

She lifted her head from Emily's shoulder and firmly made the girl look at her. "I don't want to lie to you Em. You said it yourself; you saw my attraction to her. And I _do_ care about her. But it wasn't enough. In the end it's always going to be you. I just can't help but feel guilty for breaking her heart again." Paige admitted hoarsely. "I wanted it to work when I thought you chose Tara. I didn't want to be lonely anymore and it hurt so much that I decided to try with Dani because I knew for certain how she felt about me. I knew I wouldn't be in so much pain again."

"You felt safe with her." Emily said as she began playing with their hands.

"Yeah. But not in a good way." Paige said wryly. "I was hiding Em. At the time I was so devastated I didn't want to risk my heart anymore. It hurt _so_ much that I chose to feel safe rather than feel like I did whenever I was around you." She said, looking out into the ocean.

"How did I make you feel?" Emily asked, looking at Paige curiously.

Paige beamed and looked at the girl she was holding in her arms. "You made me feel like I was in constant freefall." She said, sighing. "I never wanted that feeling to end. You always took my breath away Em. And as much as it terrified me sometimes, I would rather feel that way than feel safe when it came to you."

She hurriedly continued when she felt Emily was about to protest. "Don't get me wrong. Of course I feel safe when I'm with you. I would place my life in your hands, no questions asked. But when it came to my feelings, I know it sounds terrible but being with Dani made me feel safe because I knew I will never risk anything for her. Especially my heart. But with you, it wasn't even a question. It's always all or nothing. And I'm willing to risk _everything_ because it's you. Am I making any sense?" Paige asked, chuckling.

"Yeah." Emily nodded. "It's the same way I feel about you too." She admitted softly.

Paige looked at Emily in happiness. "Good to know I can make you feel that way too." She said huskily before lowering her lips to meet Emily's.

Emily sighed after a while and reluctantly broke their kiss, resting her head on Paige's chest as she listened to the rhythmic beating of the other girl's heart. "So what happens now between you two?" She asked softly.

"I don't know. I guess we'll always be best friends but right now it's better if we spent some time apart." Paige said halfheartedly. "I don't want to be selfish. I did that already and I ended up hurting her again. As much as I'd like to have both of you in my life, right now Dani is hurting. So I'm giving her space. But I think things will never be the same." She said sadly.

"I didn't think things can be this complicated." Emily confessed, her heart breaking when she heard the sadness in Paige's voice.

"Tell me about it." Paige said miserably. "But as much as it saddens me that things turned out this way, you made everything better. I never thought I'd be able to hold you in my arms again Em." She admitted hoarsely. "When I opened my eyes this morning and I saw you asleep beside me, I swear I felt my heart leap in utter happiness. I didn't realize how much I missed waking up next to you. Because even before I left, we were already so distant we stopped showing how much we loved each other."

"I didn't know how to talk to you." Emily said apologetically.

"And I to you. I didn't want to let you in." Paige admitted, not willing to let Emily take all the blame for what happened to their relationship.

"Promise me we'll never be like that again." Emily pleaded.

"I promise." Paige said solemnly. "If anything, we should've learned from our mistakes. When I think about what we went through to get here, in this moment, it was a struggle."

"But we made it." Emily said croakily, unable to stop the tears that spilled from her eyes.

Paige furrowed her brows in concern. "Hey. Are you crying?" She asked worriedly, gently wiping the tears that fell from the girl's eyes. "Em, what is it? Did I say something wrong?"

Emily shook her head vehemently. "No. I just can't believe we're back together. And I didn't think it was possible to be this in love." She admitted happily before breaking into a dazzling smile.

Paige felt her heart lurch and she touched Emily's cheek tenderly. "I guess now you know how I feel." She whispered, unable to put into words the happiness she felt hearing Emily say those words to her.

Emily gazed into Paige's eyes for a moment before finally making the decision to raise the question she'd been dying to ask the girl since Paige sat beside her on the bed that morning. "Paige?" Emily began as she moved to face the girl completely, half-kneeling, half-sitting on the cool sand as she positioned herself in between Paige's legs.

"Yeah?" Paige asked, extremely aware of how close Emily was sitting in front of her. She instinctively wrapped her arms around the girl's waist as Emily wrapped her arms around Paige's neck.

Emily bit her lower lip nervously. "When we return to Rosewood, will you move in with me?" She asked timidly, her heart hammering. She really, _really_ wanted to start waking up next to Paige everyday but she was too shy to admit it. She didn't want to seem too needy. After all, they _just_ got back together.

"Em, you don't have to do that. I'm fine living on my own." Paige said reassuringly.

"I know. But..." Emily began, trying to find the courage to just admit the truth.

"But what?" Paige asked, giving her a soft smile.

"I want to keep you safe. The motel is so far from my house. From any of our houses. And 'A' still wants to get to you. I won't be able to sleep at night if you're so far away from me." Emily said, silently cursing herself for saying the other reason she wanted Paige to live with her.

"I can take care of myself Em." Paige promised.

Emily started to become restless. "I know." She said, still trying to say the words she wanted Paige to hear.

"I sense another but coming." Paige said, grinning.

"But the truth is I want to wake up next to you everyday. You've been back for more than a month now, but we spent most of that time fixing what we had before you left, figuring out where we stood now that you're back, before we finally got here. I missed you _so_ much Paige. I missed seeing you everyday and being this close to you. So it's not really for you. It's more of for me." Emily rambled on, feeling herself redden.

"You know, I would be offended if not for the waking up next to me thing and all the words in between." Paige said teasingly, willing her heart to stop pounding wildly. She didn't think it was possible to be more in love with the girl she was holding in her arms. But Emily's unabashed confession made it possible. And Paige realized with overwhelming pride that she had never seen Emily look more heartbreakingly beautiful than this moment. _She's imperfectly perfect in every way and she loves me_.

"So?" Emily asked in breathless anticipation.

"Well I _do_ want to wake up next to you too. And you're the last person I want to see when I close my eyes..." Paige said, trying to look pensive.

"So?" Emily asked again, her voice hoarse.

Paige pulled Emily close and kissed her softly. "So okay. I'll move in with you." She said softly, chuckling when Emily rewarded her with a dazzling smile. "But you have to answer something first." Paige added quickly.

"What?" Emily asked breathlessly.

"Emily Fields, will you be my girlfriend again?" Paige asked humbly, causing Emily to break into a huge grin.

"Paige… do you even have to ask?" Emily asked playfully, inclining her head to the side.

Paige brought her hand to Emily's hair and lovingly ran her fingers through the girl's silky mane. _How did I get to be so lucky? _She smiled, willing her heart to stop racing a mile a minute. "Just to make things official. I don't want Tara kissing you again. Or anyone else for that matter." She said mock seriously.

She felt Emily's mood change in an instant. "Paige…" Emily said, suddenly ashamed as she pulled away.

"I'm kidding." Paige said, immediately regretting the words she uttered seconds ago. "Too soon?" She asked, trying to lighten the mood again.

"Are you certain you've forgiven me for that?" Emily asked quietly, not meeting Paige's worried gaze.

Paige touched Emily's chin and gently lifted the girl's head, forcing Emily to look at her. "Em? I meant what I said that night. I'd rather find a way to trust you again than walk away from you. So yeah. I've forgiven you. And I'm learning to trust you again." She said earnestly.

"So you think you can be civil with Tara?" Emily asked anxiously.

"Why?" Paige asked, confused.

"Because I work with her and she lives in Rosewood. And she's sort of my friend. You two might bump into each other and I just don't want it to be awkward." Emily explained reluctantly. "But if you want me to stop being her friend because it bothers you I'll do it. I don't want you to worry." She said hurriedly.

Paige sighed as she took Emily's hands in hers, squeezing them lightly. "Em, I will not be one of those girlfriends who tells their girlfriend to stop being friends with someone. You can be friends with her if you want. It won't bother me. You said it yourself; she made you feel better after the accident because you were able to talk to her. So I'm willing to be civil with her because she did a good thing for you. I know without a doubt that you won't cheat on me again. With her or with anyone else." She said confidently.

"How?" Emily asked, still uncomfortable with the idea of being friends with Tara.

"Because last night you stood in front of my bedroom door in that sexy outfit of yours which I still think you wore on purpose to seduce me, and managed to say in a few words how much you love me. You said you'd rather be my light in my time of darkness than live your life without me. After hearing those words from you I don't have any doubts about us. Not that I even had one in the first place, but I know for certain that you will never cheat on me again." Paige said unfalteringly.

Emily felt herself starting to tear up. Paige already trusted her so much. "Yeah but this is different. You have a say in this Paige. It can't be easy for you to see me with her. I don't want to constantly remind you of what I did." She said, still waiting for Paige to tell her what to do about her relationship with Tara.

"You won't." Paige said reassuringly. "Em, I'm past it. Honestly. And I don't want our relationship to turn into this thing where we can't trust each other. Especially when we're trying to do things differently this time around. I don't want you to start changing how you interact with other people because you think I'll have a problem with it." She explained patiently.

When Emily still looked unconvinced, she sighed, deciding to put an end to the discussion. "Look. She spent a day and a half with us and seeing you two together didn't remind me of what you did. More than anything, what I felt was the pain of thinking you chose her over me. That's it. So I think I can manage bumping into her once in a while. As long as she doesn't kiss you again I can be civil." Paige promised. "But tell me, why on earth are we talking about Tara?" She asked, strangely amused.

"I have _no_ idea." Emily said, finally breaking into a dazzling smile.

Paige instantly remembered why. "Oh. Right. Because I asked you to be my girlfriend again." She said softly. "You never answered that question." Paige said as she wrapped her arms around Emily's waist once again.

"Because you never had to ask it." Emily said quietly as she wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, leaning towards her girlfriend. _My girlfriend._ She started to caress Paige's nape with her thumbs.

"Still, I'd like to hear your answer." Paige said breathlessly, her heartbeat quickening. She was starting to lose all sense of rational thought as Emily moved closer to her.

"_Yes_. Paige McCullers, I would love to be your girlfriend again." Emily whispered fervently before closing the distance between their lips once again.

* * *

**Who's up for a game of **_**Hide and Seek**_**?**

**You have something of ours,**

**So we got something of yours.**

**No cops or she dies. We are watching.**

**You've got 'til midnight to play the game.**

**- A**

"I really don't get this." Paige said in frustration as she continued to stare at the ransom note she held in her hand. "I mean, does this even qualify as a ransom note?" She asked as she looked up to address the five other people sitting in front of her inside the van.

They were on their way home from the Hamptons that afternoon and on the drive back, they all decided it was as good a time as any to talk about the ransom note Paige found. They were in an enclosed moving space. No risk of getting heard by 'A'.

"Well yeah." Aria said as she raised her head from reading something on her tablet. "There may be no monetary demand in exchange for your life but the thing about no cops and that they had until midnight to find you make it a ransom note. Or something close to it." She explained, leaning her head against the window before going back to what she was reading.

"But if they're indeed watching, they would know that my folks left for Scranton early that day." Paige said, still baffled. "Was I missing the entire day?" She asked as she looked down at Emily who was lying on her lap.

"I don't know." Emily admitted helplessly. "The last time we saw each other was after you walked me home from the engagement party. The next day I got a text from you saying I won't see you the whole day but that tonight I'm in for a big surprise."

"I'll say. If a blazing inferno isn't a big surprise I don't know what is." Hanna said, shaking her head in disbelief as she watched the passing scenery from her seat beside Spencer.

"What time did you get that text?" Spencer asked Emily, briefly turning her head to face them as she struggled to move from her position between Hanna and Aria.

"I think it was around 11. It was actually a reply from the text I sent you." Emily said as she looked at Paige. "I woke up late that day and as soon as I opened my eyes I really wanted to see you so I texted you asking if we could have lunch before our date that night." She explained as she bent her knees, getting comfortable lying on her girlfriend's lap.

Paige furrowed her brows in concentration. "I don't remember sending you a text that day. But then again I pretty much don't remember everything that happened until the accident." She said wryly.

The van was suddenly filled with Dani's hysterical laughter from the front seat.

"I'm sorry." Dani said hastily, trying to control her laughter when she saw the disapproving looks they gave her. "I'm not laughing at Paige, come on." She said, rolling her eyes. "I just find it hilarious that you guys are in a van with two people who can't remember what happened after an accident. Two people who happened to be best friends at that." Dani added, fighting the urge to laugh again.

Paige smiled. "It _is_ pretty funny." She admitted, shaking her head.

"We could probably give you the answers if we just remembered." Dani said apologetically.

"Hey. Come on. No pressure to remember what happened." Aria said to Dani reassuringly. "We're just relieved we're all getting home to Rosewood the same way we left it." She continued.

"Uh, we didn't exactly leave and came back the same way." Hanna said as she sneaked a peek at Paige and Emily at the back of the van.

At the moment, Paige was whispering something in Emily's ear which made the girl lying on her lap blush profusely before she cupped Paige's cheek in her hand and brought it close to her to give her girlfriend a lingering kiss.

"Who'd have thought that when we left Rosewood those two can't figure out how to be in the same room but on the drive home they seem to need to _get_ a room." Hanna said, rolling her eyes. "So much for saying they could use this trip to start being civil around each other. If that's what being civil means for them then I don't want to know what being friends means." She said as she jutted her thumb to the direction of the couple behind them.

"Han you don't have to worry about that because I think they skipped that part. Geez, those two are making me blush." Aria said, averting her eyes.

Spencer cleared her throat. "Guys, let's keep this ride strictly PG-13 please." She said without looking at the couple behind her. "Some of us don't have love lives. We're happy for you and all but come on. Have a heart." Spencer said lightly before catching Dani's eye and giving her a comforting smile.

Dani gave her an appreciative nod. "Yeah. Come on. Hastings and I are currently single here. Please wait 'til we get back to Rosewood and _then_ for the love of god get a room." She said lightly, forcing the pain out of her voice as she turned in her seat to face forward and leaned her head on the headrest. She closed her eyes and strained to forget the image of Paige and Emily getting hot and heavy at the back. She decided to retreat to her own world and removed herself from the rest of the conversation.

Paige forced herself to stop kissing her girlfriend and grinned at them sheepishly. "Okay, okay." She said before giving Emily one last kiss. "To be continued later." She promised in Emily's ear before she sat up straight and took Emily's hand in hers, intertwining them.

"Okay then." Caleb said as he glanced at them from the rearview mirror. "Back to that note. What's bothering you about it Paige?" He asked as he went back to concentrating on the road ahead of them.

"Here's the thing. If my parents were in Scranton earlier that day and they knew it, why would they leave a note and then wait until they came back?" Paige asked, looking out at the window beside her.

"I think the question is how they left that note for your parents to see once they came back." Aria said thoughtfully. "I mean think about it, they can't just leave a note like that outside your house. It's too risky. That note must have been left inside your house and once your parents got in they saw it."

"Well they could have slipped it under the front door. When her parents came home they would see it once they got inside." Spencer reasoned out.

"Will they? Or would they have stepped on it first instead?" Aria asked uncertainly.

"What do you mean?" Hanna asked, intrigued.

"If you got inside your house, you won't look down on what you're stepping on. You'd look around first. You don't open a door and look down, you look straight ahead." Aria explained.

"So they wouldn't have seen the note and would have stepped on it instead. But there are no shoe marks." Spencer said, finally getting Aria's train of thought.

"Yeah. The note is clean." Aria said as she took the note from Paige and showed it to them. "Remember, that night it was raining hard. If that note was left by slipping it under the front door there would have been mud on it or at least it's going to be wrinkled from the water droplets her parents brought in with them once they got inside." She concluded as Spencer took the note from her and examined it herself.

"So where was it left then?" Hanna asked, confused.

"Where're your house keys Paige?" Caleb asked suddenly.

"My what?" Paige asked, not getting what Caleb was talking about.

"After the accident, do you remember where you put your house keys?" Caleb clarified.

Paige shook her head. "No. I guess I just presumed they misplaced it. After the accident the doctors gave me my folks' stuff. I didn't think to look for my keys because I already had theirs." She admitted.

"Then that's probably why you were taken earlier that day." Caleb concluded, much to the confusion of the others.

"What?" Hanna asked.

"I think they visited your place twice." Caleb said, risking a glance at Paige from the rearview mirror.

"What do you mean?" Paige asked, meeting Caleb's gaze.

"After your folks left they must have watched you when you went for a run. They probably know your route so they just waited and then probably grabbed you from behind. They got your keys, went back to your house and searched for the file." Caleb explained. "That's why there was no sign of a break-in or a forced entry on that police report. Because they had your house keys all along."

"And where was I the whole time? Stowed in the car trunk?!" Paige asked in disbelief.

"Maybe." Caleb said, shrugging. "Only you can tell us what really happened to you that day. What we have right now are speculations."

"Then that would make the note Plan B." Spencer suddenly interjected as she ran through her mind what could have happened that night.

Caleb nodded. "Yeah. When they couldn't find the file that morning, they decided to keep you around and left that note." He said confidently.

"So why keep me alive?" Paige asked, baffled.

"You'd have to ask them that." Caleb answered, shaking his head.

Paige took back the note from Spencer and studied it thoughtfully. "This game of hide and seek, what, they waited until my parents left then they went inside our house again to search for the file? What changed if they can't find it earlier that day?" She asked as she read and reread the note.

"Your dad." Spencer said slowly. "He must have unwittingly shown them where it is." She continued anxiously.

"How?" Paige asked, staring at the girl in front of her in bewilderment.

"Work with me here." Spencer began, facing Paige and Emily. "If your parents saw that note, one of them could have thought it was just a prank so they'd do something to confirm its authenticity first. Like call you. But because you were abducted, you wouldn't be able to answer it. The panic starts to set in but still in denial, they'd think that you probably just couldn't get to it. Still, just to make sure, your dad would check to see if the file was still where he kept it." She explained, unable to keep up with her train of thoughts.

"Something of theirs." Paige said hoarsely, finally understanding what could have happened that night.

"Yeah. And all the while, they could have been watching outside your house, knowing your dad would check where he kept it just to make sure they still had a reason to play the game. Because if the file was already missing, they would have gone straight to the cops." Spencer said surely.

"Okay so they probably saw where my dad kept it and once my folks began to play the game they went inside our house to take it. Why cause the accident then?" Paige asked, her mind still filled with unanswered questions.

"Because I ruined the game." Emily said weakly, a feeling of dread washing over her as she quickly got up from Paige's lap.

"What?" Paige asked, looking at her girlfriend in concern.

"My car was in the shop that day, remember? It wouldn't start and my bike went missing. Back then I just thought I was having a bad day. But now..." Emily let the words hang in the air, trying to come to grips with the role she played on the accident that day.

"You think they did that to keep you from helping my folks?" Paige asked anxiously.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. When you didn't show up for our date that night I started getting worried. I tried calling you but you weren't answering. I was near CeCe's boutique when I heard your dad call out my name. They hurriedly ran towards me and asked if you were with me." She explained.

"When you said that you were looking for me what did they say?" Paige asked.

"Nothing. They just said they needed to get going and that's when I asked if I could come with them to the marina." Emily admitted, suddenly feeling horrible. She felt Paige's hand squeeze hers reassuringly and she gave her girlfriend a small smile.

"Then it was too early." Caleb suddenly said from behind the wheel.

"What?" Hanna asked, confused. "But the boat was already on fire. They were late."

"Not too late." Caleb corrected his girlfriend. "Because they ran into Emily, the game progressed too early. They had until midnight to play, remember? They wouldn't have figured out to check the marina so soon if Emily didn't give them the idea. That's why they got to the marina earlier than the intended time." He explained.

"That's why Paige survived the fire." Emily said faintly. She was hit with a sudden wave of nausea when she realized that she might have saved Paige from the fire but then she somehow indirectly caused the car accident when she inadvertently joined the game. She didn't know how to feel about that. Because even if Paige never blamed her for what happened, it turns out she was right all along. Everything went wrong that night because of her. She couldn't breathe. She was going to pass out. She…

"Don't." The sound of Paige's stern voice in her ear snapped Emily out of her trance.

Her girlfriend didn't notice it but Paige had been watching Emily from the corner of her eye ever since the other girl realized why Paige survived the fire. And she knew that in that instant Emily began to blame herself once again. Paige won't let that happen. In one abrupt motion, Paige pulled her girlfriend close to her to snap Emily out of the stupor she was in.

"Listen to me. It doesn't matter. You _saved_ my life that night. Nothing else matters." Paige whispered fiercely. Emily choked back a sob and clung to Paige tightly. "We'll talk about this later." Paige whispered softly in Emily's ear before kissing the girl's head soothingly.

Paige turned her attention back to the conversation at hand as she held Emily close to her, gently stroking the hair of the visibly distraught girl in her arms.

"Yeah. We shouldn't even ask why they kept Paige alive the entire day because towards the end of the night they really had no intention of letting her live. They probably have a plan for her parents too once they found her. No loose ends. But because her folks and Emily found her before they were even done trying to open the safe, they had to improvise." Spencer said, suddenly realizing what those words meant.

Apparently, so did Paige and Emily.

"The car accident." Paige said hoarsely, holding Emily tighter when she felt the girl's warm tears on her neck.

* * *

"I thought I'd find you here." Paige said quietly as she approached Dani.

Once they got back to Rosewood, Caleb dropped off Aria, Spencer and Hanna at their houses before dropping off Paige and Emily at the latter's house. Paige refused to leave Emily's side seeing that her girlfriend was still upset and said that she'll go back to the motel to get her things when they go out for dinner later. Caleb and Dani decided to swing by the motel before heading home. After Dani got her things, she and Caleb were on their way home when he decided to go to the grocery store at the last minute. Dani asked her brother to drop her off the park in front of the church on the way, telling him to come back for her when he's done. When he asked why she wanted to go there at night, she said she wanted to feel like she was five again.

"I haven't been to this place since the funeral. This is kinda our spot." Dani said as she looked up at Paige, letting her feet graze the grass as she gently swayed the swing she was sitting on. _Years ago, my feet barely touched the grass_. She thought wistfully.

"It is." Paige said, sitting on the swing next to Dani.

"Is Emily going to be okay?" Dani asked quietly, not looking at the girl sitting beside her.

Paige nodded her head. "Yeah. She will be. I'll make sure of it." She promised quietly.

"Good." Dani said, smiling to herself.

They sat in heavy silence until Paige stole a glance at her best friend and saw her smiling. "What's so funny?" She asked, slightly baffled.

"If I squint just hard enough, the door to the church seems as big as it was when I first sat here." Dani admitted, wishing desperately she could be five again.

Paige smiled, reminiscing. "You were so shy that day. Who knew you would turn into my crazy and cool best friend." She said, shaking her head. She looked towards the direction of the church and sighed. "It's weird. In the years that we were friends, after we stopped speaking and when we started speaking again, those years were nothing compared to how these past few days changed everything between us." Paige admitted quietly.

"I know. But I don't regret every second of it." Dani said, a hint of sadness evident in her voice.

"I regret that I hurt you again." Paige said, looking at Dani once again.

Dani refused to look at the girl sitting beside her, willing herself not to breakdown in front of the only girl she has ever loved. "Paige, I'm a big girl. I knew what I was getting into. I knew sooner or later you'd return to Emily." She said, her voice never betraying the devastation she felt of saying those words out loud.

"So why did you agree to try with me?" Paige asked, silently begging for Dani to look at her.

"Because I love you." Dani said helplessly as she finally looked at Paige. "That's something I can't do anything about. A part of me wanted to experience what it's like to be your girlfriend, even if it was just for a little while. And a part of me wished it would stick. But I knew it was also because I wanted to keep your heart safe until Emily decides to fight for you." She said, swallowing hard.

"I don't deserve a friend like you." Paige said softly.

"And I don't deserve a friend like you. But what the hell right?" Dani said, managing to give her best friend a genuine smile.

Paige smiled back at her and they sat in silence once again, the creak of the swings and the scuff of their feet on the grass the only sound until Dani decided to speak.

"Thank you, Paige." She said softly.

"For what?" Paige asked, stopping her movement.

"For saving me that day. For sitting beside me and holding my hand. You may not know it but you did a great thing for me that day." Dani admitted, looking at Paige once again.

"Well I did say we're going to be the best of friends." Paige said, smiling wryly.

"You were right. We were." Dani said. _We were_. A wave of sadness suddenly hit her and she bit her bottom lip to stop the tears from falling.

"You got everything from the motel?" Paige asked after a beat.

"Yeah." Dani nodded. "It's your turn to get your stuff." She said, giving the girl a soft smile.

"So I guess that's it then." Paige said, suddenly filled with sadness. "I'll miss you Dani." She admitted quietly.

"Yeah. I'll miss you too, P." Dani answered back.

"We'll be fine right? This isn't like the last time?" Paige asked, suddenly scared. She didn't want to lose Dani again.

"Definitely not. We're not fighting and we're not really ending our friendship. Just, changing." Dani said, trying to understand things herself. "For the past two years it felt like when we were kids again. Before Emily came into the picture."

"You and me against the world." Paige said, smiling as she remembered all those times they spent together when they were kids. Before Dani fell for her.

"Yeah." Dani nodded, smiling herself. "But Emily's back in your life and we have to face reality. It's not just us anymore. You have Fields too. We both know sooner or later it has to be you and her against the world." She said, swallowing a lump that formed in her throat as she said those words.

"I know." Paige said quietly.

They both looked towards the direction of the sound when it broke the comforting silence surrounding them.

"There's my ride." Paige said, taking a deep breath as she watched Emily get out of the car. "You sure you're going to be okay here?" She asked as she took her eyes off her girlfriend to look at Dani.

"Yeah. Caleb's going to swing by here after he's done at the grocery store. Go ahead." Dani said reassuringly.

"Okay then." Paige said as she stood up and started to walk towards Emily.

Dani hesitated for a second before calling out to her friend. "Hey Paige." Paige looked back at her, waiting for her to say something, and she took a deep breath. "I know we'll always be best friends and as much as I'd like to keep it that way, one day I'll have to be a really good close friend because Emily is going to become your best friend. So, open up to her okay? She may not yet understand you like I always have but she's willing to try. But you have to try to open up to her as well. Promise me you'll do that. I don't want you to lose her again." Dani said earnestly.

"I don't want to lose her too. This is it for us." Paige said firmly.

"And for us." Dani whispered sadly, the words not reaching Paige's ears.

"Don't be a stranger Dani." Paige said, smiling at her friend.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Dani replied, managing to give Paige a small smile as the girl waved her hand goodbye.

Dani watched in tearful silence as Paige jogged the rest of the way towards Emily, giving her girlfriend a quick kiss before opening the door for her and going around to the passenger seat to get in herself. Emily looked at Dani and gave her a small wave in greeting. Dani managed to raise her uninjured arm and gave the girl a wave back.

"Take care of her for me Fields." Dani whispered sadly as she watched them drive away. "She's going to really need you."

* * *

"Yes, hello. Good evening." Aria said into the phone as she nervously paced the length of Hanna's bedroom. "I was wondering if you could help me with something. It's really embarrassing and very private so it would help if you kept the matter to yourself? Yes. Thank you." She said, finally sitting down on Hanna's bed. "I met this guy last night and I spent the night on his boat. I left in a hurry this morning and I forgot my wedding ring in my rush to get home. I need to get a hold of him before my husband finds out my ring's missing."

She listened to the person on the other end of the line before speaking again. "Uh, Jason something. DiLaurentis. Jason DiLaurentis. I really wouldn't trouble you but I can't seem to find his boat and I really need to get home to my husband." Aria said, hoping she'll get the answer she wanted to hear. But she didn't.

"Yes. Jason. DiLaurentis. Charles I. Are you sure? No. It's fine. He must've given me a fake name. Figures. Yes. Okay. Thanks for your help." Aria said, ending the call as a sense of dread washed over her.

"So?" Hanna asked anxiously.

Aria looked at her friend and took a deep breath. "I don't know what he's up to but Jason was lying. There's no record of him renting a slip at the marina. The clerk said there's no record of a Jason DiLaurentis or a Charles I."

"For the weekend?" Hanna clarified.

"Ever." Aria said quietly.

"What are we going to do?" Hanna asked, suddenly worried.

"I really don't know." Aria said nervously. "But we have to tell Spencer."

* * *

"What did you get from the grocery? Please tell me you're not feeding me frozen dinner on my first night here in your apartment. I'm telling dad." Dani said immaturely.

"What are you five?!" Caleb asked incredulously. "No. I'm not feeding you frozen dinner. I actually bought takeout. I'm too exhausted to cook for you tonight. I don't think it's fair that I was the designated driver for the entire trip." He said as he placed the paper bag on the kitchen table.

"Hey. Not my fault you didn't realize it sooner." Dani said as she sat on one of the chairs around the table. "So why did you go to the grocery?" She asked.

"I had to buy some supplies. Milk, eggs, cereal, toothpaste, aftershave, batteries, and a pack of cards." Caleb said as he emptied the contents of the bag on the table.

"A pack of cards?" Dani asked, taking the sealed deck and looking at her brother quizzically.

"Yeah. I seem to remember you owe me some money from the last time we played poker." Caleb said lightly as he started to clear the table to prepare for dinner.

"And you want me to pay up now?" Dani asked in disbelief. "Well it's between a pound of my flesh and a bag of my blood so take your pick." She said lightly as she slid the pack of cards towards her brother.

"No. I was thinking we could continue the game while we eat dinner. Unless you'd rather watch reruns." Caleb said, pointing to the flat screen in his living room.

"Ugh." Dani said, rolling her eyes.

"That's what I thought." Caleb said as he opened the pack and slid out the cards. "Here. Shuffle these while I transfer the food." He said, handing the cards to Dani.

Dani furrowed her brows in confusion. "Seriously?" She asked, trying hard not to laugh. "What, you think after the accident I grew an extra arm? How am I supposed to shuffle that?" Dani asked as she pointed to the sling she was wearing.

"Right. Sorry. I forgot." Caleb said apologetically as he placed the cards on the table and took out the boxes of takeout he bought earlier.

Dani smiled at him in amusement. "I wish you forgot that money I owed you instead. 50 bucks was it?" She asked, trying to worm her way out of paying.

"Nice try." Caleb said sarcastically. "It's a hundred and fifty. Now eat your dinner." He said as he pushed the carton of Chinese takeout in front of his sister.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Paige asked quietly as she gazed at her girlfriend from across the table. "If you want to talk about it…" She began.

"Not tonight." Emily said, shaking her head. "Tonight let's just enjoy our first night back in Rosewood as a couple." She said, smiling softly at Paige.

"Okay." Paige said, smiling back at Emily before getting lost in her own thoughts.

"How'd things go with Dani?" Emily asked gently as she looked at Paige, worried.

After they got Paige's things from the motel, they decided to grab a late dinner at one of the outdoor restaurants lining the boardwalk at the marina before turning in for the night. Emily noticed that her girlfriend seemed so sad and she knew why. That's why she didn't want to talk about what happened earlier. She wanted Paige to talk to her instead. She just hoped Paige was willing to.

"Sad." Paige admitted. "I mean we'll still see each other but, not like before." She said as she took a deep breath before smiling softly as the flickering candle at the middle of their table played across her girlfriend's features. She still can't believe they're back together. She sighed before reaching out to take Emily's hand in hers.

"What?" Emily asked, breaking into a grin as she started playing with their hands. The way Paige was looking at her made her forget that she was hungry for food.

"Nothing. I just didn't realize how much I missed having dinner with you like this. I really missed you Em. I missed sitting in front of you, holding your hand across the table, staring at you. I didn't think I'd get to be with you like this again." Paige admitted, still amazed that after all those years, Emily waited for her.

"Well I missed you too. You owe me a lot of dinners." Emily said mock seriously.

"And breakfasts. And lunches. And everything in between." Paige promised as she leaned across the table to give her girlfriend a kiss.

"I like the sound of that." Emily whispered breathlessly as she anticipated the touch of Paige's lips on hers.

"Hey guys." They turned their heads towards the direction of the voice and Emily fought the urge to roll her eyes. Groaning inwardly, she sat back and acknowledged the person standing beside their table.

"Tara." Emily said in greeting, suddenly uncomfortable. Even if Paige told her she was fine seeing Emily and Tara together, she wanted nothing more than to stay away from the girl. She thought she and Tara can have a fresh start and be friends but she is quickly realizing she didn't want to.

"Hey Paige." Tara said, turning her attention to the other girl.

"Hey." Paige said, giving the girl a thin smile.

"I'm guessing the rest of your stay at the Hamptons brought you guys back together." Tara said as she observed their hands across the dinner table.

_What gave it away Einstein?_ "Yeah. It did." Paige said, biting her tongue to keep herself from saying something sarcastic.

"Good." Tara said, nodding her head. "I was starting to wonder how long it would take for you two to find a way to get back together. I guess true love does conquer all." She said, amused. When neither of the girls said anything, she continued. "Listen Paige, I'm sorry for the douche move. For kissing your girl and for lying about it when you came and talked to me. Considering the strength it took for you to let her go back then, finding out about what we did behind your back mustn't have been easy."

"It wasn't. But I'm past that." Paige said as she smiled at her girlfriend reassuringly when she saw that Emily's mood suddenly changed the minute Tara approached them.

"Oh." Tara said, surprised that she was let off the hook so easily. "So, I know it's too much to ask and right now you're probably thinking of doing me bodily harm which I know I completely deserve, but I was hoping we can have a chance to get to know each other better? As friends." She said hurriedly. "I mean as friends. Oh god I didn't mean it to sound like I was trying to hit on you this time. I'm so sorry. It's just that, Emily's sort of my only friend here and I don't want to lose that. Now that you two are back together I don't want to lose her friendship. And you're an extension of Emily so... am I making any sense or are you still trying to picture my face in a punching bag?" Tara asked hesitantly.

"Tara we don't have to be friends just so you and Emily can be friends. Those two are mutually exclusive and it's entirely up to her if she wants to be friends with you." Paige said wryly. "Because honestly, I don't think I can be friends with you. But I can be civil around you." She admitted.

"Oh. Of course. I understand. I just had to try." Tara said, slightly disappointed. "But just the same, I want you to know that it will never happen again." She promised sincerely.

"Oh I don't doubt that." Paige said, willing herself not to roll her eyes. She wished the girl would go away so she and Emily can continue where they left off.

"Still, let me make it up to you. Emily said you used to sail?" Tara asked.

"Yeah. But my dad's boat burned down." Paige said, wondering where the conversation was headed.

"I know. She told me about that. But if you guys ever want to go sailing again one of these days, I can lend you mine." Tara offered eagerly.

"That's not really necessary." Paige said, declining the offer nicely.

"Just think about it. The offer doesn't have an expiration date or anything." Tara said, not willing to take no for an answer.

"Okay. Sure. Thanks." Paige said, hoping her answer would finally make the girl leave.

"It's the least I could do." Tara said, giving them a grin. "I guess I better get going then. I didn't mean to ruin your dinner date. I just came over to say hi and welcome you guys back to Rosewood. I'll see you guys around. Goodnight. Emily, Paige." She said as she turned to Paige and gave her a two-finger salute before walking past Emily and turning to look at Paige one last time.

Paige felt her blood run cold but forced herself to avert her eyes from the departing girl and focused her attention on Emily instead, giving her girlfriend what she hoped was a smile convincing enough to fool Tara.

"Paige what's wrong?" Emily asked worriedly.

But she couldn't fool Emily. "Why do you think there's something wrong?" Paige asked, trying to say the words softly as she struggled to control the pounding of her heart.

"Your grip just tightened on my hand and your hand is clammy. Are you feeling okay?" Emily asked, the concern evident in her voice.

"Yeah." Paige said, struggling to keep calm.

"What is it?" Emily asked. Paige's behavior was making her really nervous.

"If I tell you something, promise me you won't react. Please." Paige pleaded breathlessly.

"Okay." Emily promised, squeezing Paige's hand reassuringly.

"Promise me, Em. You have to promise me that you won't make any sudden movements. Just, keep holding my hand. Okay? Our lives depend on this." Paige said as she fought hard not to risk a glance at the departing girl, knowing fully well Tara was watching her.

"I promise. What is it?" Emily asked breathlessly. Paige was starting to really scare her.

Paige desperately tried to fight the blackness that threatened to consume her. She felt herself spiraling out of control, the memory of what happened moments before the accident threatening to overwhelm her senses until she felt Emily's grip on her hand tighten, tethering her back to reality.

"Tara caused the accident." Paige whispered hoarsely.


	12. The French Connection

**DISCLAIMER**: _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters are still not mine. Characters in this fanfic except for a few belong to PLL. Some events were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL so I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said, the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~Thanks for all of your AWESOME, AWESOME reviews about the story! Again, sorry for posting only one chapter each week.~**

**~AND… once again we have a new record breaker for the longest chapter! LOL! Story's going to be done the day 3b starts hence the chapters are going to be quite lengthy. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and following it.~**

_**Shokoshik**_**: Once again, thanks for your awesome and (this time) really lengthy PM review!~**

* * *

**Chapter 12: The French Connection**

_**"Three things cannot hide for long: the Moon, the Sun and the Truth."**_** – Hermann Hesse**

_Tara watched with faux bafflement and concern as Emily bolted out of the bar like she couldn't get out of there fast enough. Counting to a good full minute, she finally broke into a self-satisfied smirk and stood up from her seat in the booth she occupied, taking with her the two bottles of beer she bought earlier as she slowly made her way to another booth._

_"Mind if I join you?" She lazily asked the occupant._

_"Depends. Is Emily gone?" The person asked, looking up at Tara expectantly._

_"Like clockwork." Tara confirmed gleefully as she slid on the empty seat across CeCe Drake, placing the bottles of beer on the table separating them. "Just like you said. I gotta hand it to you. You __**do**__ know these people." She said, not bothering to hide her admiration._

_"Please. I taught Ali how to choose these people. I know them like the back of my hand." CeCe declared. "Emily cheated on Pigskin with you. One remark about how she seems to be enjoying herself around you is enough to send that girl into a downward spiral of guilt and shame. She's the ideal girlfriend of one Paige McCullers and it's still taking a toll on her even after Pigskin left. Even if she tries to put it behind her she still continues to struggle with Rosewood's perception of her." She said, smirking._

_Tara leaned back in her seat, bored. "You're here. I'm guessing Paige is lurking in the shadows outside her beloved Emily's house, waiting for her to get home before calling. Again." She stated as she studied the girl across from her._

_CeCe rolled her eyes. "Yeah that girl isn't going anywhere. Honestly, I don't even see the point of following her whenever she returns here. There's only one reason why she keeps coming back." She answered, seemingly bored herself._

_Tara sneered. "Watch me take her girl from right under her nose?" She asked eagerly._

_CeCe smiled at her. "She won't stop you. The immensity of her love for Emily will outweigh her desire to reveal herself. Which might I add, will come in perfectly handy one day when you __**unintentionally**__ reveal to Emily what Pigskin has been up to all this time. She's too selfless for her own good. Trust me, one of these days she'll let her go and you'd know it when that time comes." She said confidently._

_"So what do I do now?" Tara asked, impatient to move things along._

_"Keep pushing." CeCe ordered. "Emily's birthday is coming up. You should make a move. I'm sure Pigskin will be watching and from there everything will take care of itself."_

_"Then we need to celebrate." Tara declared, grabbing one bottle and handing it to CeCe._

_"I guess I could stay for a drink or two." CeCe said casually, shrugging as she took the bottle from Tara._

_"To causing train wrecks." Tara said, raising her bottle towards CeCe._

_"To wreaking havoc." CeCe added, clinking her bottle of beer against Tara's._

* * *

Tara irately unlocked the front door of CeCe Drake's house, barely restraining herself from slamming it shut behind her once she got inside. She turned around and immediately rolled her eyes when she saw the two people waiting for her.

"What did you do?" CeCe asked, her eyes narrowing into slits as she studied the annoyed girl standing in the middle of her living room.

"Nothing." Tara said dismissively, starting to make her way upstairs.

"You're lying." CeCe said harshly, making Tara stop dead in her tracks. "You know how much I _hate_ liars." She said ominously.

"Fine." Tara said, facing her audience reluctantly. "I tried having a little fun but it didn't work. Satisfied?" She asked, rolling her eyes before turning her back to them, fully intent on heading upstairs.

"Care to enlighten us?" CeCe asked, raising her voice, signaling they weren't done talking.

Tara faced them once again, crossing her arms in front of her chest in defiance. "I tried triggering Paige's memory but that girl is stubborn. Not even a glimmer of recognition from that night, this blows." She said, exhaling loudly.

CeCe narrowed her eyes at Tara menacingly. "Why would you go and do something I _specifically_ asked you not to? Are you out of your mind?" She asked, barely controlling her anger.

"Not yet. But I'm about to." Tara answered warningly. "When you asked me to come here, I didn't think I'd have to live in this wretched town for fucking _two years_! I want to get out of this place!" She exclaimed impatiently.

"And we will. _Once_ we find that file." CeCe said adamantly.

Tara sneered. "Why do you think I tried triggering her memory?" She asked sarcastically. "I wanted things to move along. Those people are too dim-witted to figure things out. They spent all this time running around looking for answers, thinking we are hot on their trail to stop them from doing so. You two should be thankful I didn't lock them in a room and turn them against each other _just_ to make them talk." Tara said, frustrated.

"Your impatience will get us in trouble." Jason said, eerily calm as he finally voiced out his opinion on the subject matter.

Tara turned her attention to him. "No. On the contrary, it will get us out of here faster." She said stonily. "You two don't have to worry about it though. It didn't work. But we need to stop messing around. Stop sending them those annoying messages. We're done trying to make it seem like a bunch of immature teenagers are behind this. Whatever we have on them, we'll use as leverage when the time is right." Tara instructed sharply. "When we stopped sending them those messages two years ago their guards came down. _That's_ why we have those secrets against them. Because they thought it was over. So let's just focus on finding that pesky file by watching their every move."

"Paige is still intent on looking for answers about that night." CeCe reminded her.

"And she will. But Paige is stupid to think you two followed her to stop her from getting answers. She thinks we're scared. Until now she doesn't seem to realize why we're still after her. When she finally does, she will undoubtedly double her efforts to get to the bottom of things. That's why we need to watch her the most." Tara said snidely. "When the time comes, she will deliver to us that file herself."

With that, Tara turned her back to them, heading upstairs resolutely. The two waited for the sound of the bedroom door slamming shut before speaking again.

"She's a necessary evil." CeCe explained, looking at Jason.

"Remind me again why we needed her help?" Jason asked, annoyed.

"Because the others lost sight of the purpose. That's why we had to get rid of them." CeCe answered him impatiently.

Jason stood up, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Well she's enjoying this a little too much. You need to rein her in." He said with quiet authority before exiting the living room.

"I know. Don't worry. I've got it under control." CeCe promised under her breath, closing her eyes in exhaustion.

* * *

"Okay, why am I finding out about this just now?!" Emily asked incredulously as she stared at the frozen image on Paige's laptop screen.

After Paige told her that Tara caused the accident, Emily tried to act as normal as possible until Paige was certain that Tara was gone. Their hunger forgotten, Emily was about to bombard her girlfriend with a hundred questions but Paige told her she'll tell her everything once they get home. Now they sat in the dark on the floor of Emily's bedroom, positioning themselves on the other side of her bed, away from the windows which Paige hurriedly closed once they arrived before drawing the curtains.

Emily anxiously played the footage once again and watched as Tara and CeCe arrive at the marina in broad daylight, looking awfully close for two people who introduced themselves to each other in front of Emily several months later. She continued to watch breathlessly as the two made their way towards a boat, its name hidden from view, Jason greeting them when he emerged from below deck. Emily furrowed her brows in concentration as she watched Jason help Tara get on board before he disembarked, him and CeCe leaving as Tara went below deck. She then fast-forwarded the video to several hours later, the footage dark as it was nighttime, and watched as Jason returned, Tara emerging from below deck and gesturing for Jason to get on board before setting sail. Emily fast-forwarded the video once again to when the boat returned to its slip but this time there was no sign of Jason. She watched anxiously as Tara came into view, wearing a black hoodie and talking on the phone before disembarking. Emily paused the footage once again, looking at Paige expectantly.

Paige met her girlfriend's gaze apologetically. "I couldn't tell you yet. Not without enough proof. I mean _solid_ proof. There could be a lot of ways to interpret this footage, Em. For people who have no idea about 'A' and their role in the fire and the accident, this presents no malice. Nothing seems wrong. It's like any other day. But for us, for me, it means something. That's why I asked Dani and Caleb not to say anything unless we have proof. Seeing how these people are a part of your lives, we can't just come up to you and your friends and accuse them. The fewer people who knew about this footage, the better our chances are of not letting on that we suspect them. Based from my experience, you and your friends are about as subtle as a cat chasing a mouse when you think someone is 'A'. Remember when your friends suspected me? Yeah, I noticed. So you can't blame me for trying to keep the lid on this one. If these people found out we have this footage of them, they will come after us more than ever and I don't want anything bad to happen again. So we have to do things the smart way." She explained tensely.

Emily understood Paige's logic but she felt sick to her stomach. She turned her attention back to the image of Tara in the laptop screen. "But I asked Tara to come with us to the Hamptons, Paige. She was with us the whole time." She said, suddenly appalled.

"It actually helped us." Paige admitted. "You inviting Tara to join us for the weekend was something we didn't see coming but it made things a whole lot easier. We didn't have to keep wondering if they were following us because they were actually with us. Although I think it was their intention to make sure they were with us the whole time too. Or at least one of them was. Until Dani's accident that is." She said quietly.

"You think Tara was the one who pushed her down the stairs?" Emily asked, horrified.

Paige nodded her head. "Yeah. I mean, I'm not completely sure but I think she doubled back. You said you accompanied her to the bus stop. Did you watch her get on the bus?" She asked, looking at Emily.

"Yes." Emily answered emphatically.

"Then she must have waited until the bus was out of your sight before she alighted and followed us." Paige reasoned out, still convinced it was Tara who tried to kill Dani that day.

"But how? She didn't have a car." Emily said, trying to make sense of things.

"Maybe she had help. They could have followed us the next day." Paige answered, glancing at the image on her laptop screen. "Not one of us was left in Rosewood so I don't see why they won't follow us if Tara asked them."

"Are you sure they weren't there already the day we arrived?" Emily asked.

"Positive. We didn't have a tail the entire time we were on our way to the house and Tara was asleep most of the ride remember? She was confident that she had everything under control because the people they had their eyes on were all in one place. They didn't know where Caleb and Dani went. I watched Tara the entire time they were out of the house and she never touched her phone. And Caleb and Dani said they weren't followed. So Tara was the only one with us the entire time that day." Paige explained confidently.

"So what's bothering you?" Emily asked, noticing her girlfriend's restlessness.

Paige took a deep breath. "I know she had help. That's why she got there so fast. But how did they know where to go?" she asked, baffled.

Emily thought for a while before answering. "The day before Dani's accident, at any point during that day, did you guys make plans about going there the next day?" She asked anxiously.

"We were talking about it in the kitchen when you walked in on us." Paige admitted reluctantly. She knew it wasn't the right time but she suddenly felt guilty when she remembered the look on Emily's face when she saw her and Dani. She forced herself to push the image away and focused on the topic at hand. "Maybe she was listening in on us."

Emily shook her head. "No. Tara wasn't anywhere near the house at that time. I was the only one who went back to the house to get some water. She was talking to Spencer when I left and when I came back they were still talking. She couldn't have overheard you guys talking at the time. I wasn't gone that long." She said disappointedly.

Paige racked her brain for another instance they talked about it and said the next thing that came to mind. "Well the only other time we talked about it was when I came back from the beach. Dani and I talked about it in our room but there's no way she could have heard us." She said uncertainly.

"Unless she was eavesdropping." Emily added. "Our rooms were right across each other. It would be easy for her to listen in on your conversation."

Paige looked at Emily thoughtfully. "I guess." She began. "But I thought everyone was asleep when I came back. And we didn't talk about it until it was around 2am." Paige said, still unsure.

"Well that's around the time I came back from the beach myself and I thought everyone was asleep too. But Tara said something to me at the bus stop." Emily said, suddenly realizing that Tara was _indeed_ eavesdropping.

"What?" Paige asked.

"I slept on the couch." Emily said.

Paige furrowed her brows in confusion. "What about it?" She asked, baffled.

"No." Emily said, shaking her head. "She said I slept on the couch downstairs." She clarified.

"So?" Paige asked, still not getting what her girlfriend was trying to tell her.

"So how could she know that unless she saw me?" Emily explained. "When I got back from the beach the house was dark. You were all asleep. I mean I thought you were."

Paige shook her head. "No. Dani and I were up until around 3am."

"Then she definitely overheard you two talking." Emily said, suddenly becoming nauseous. "Oh my god Paige this is horrible. I can't believe I let her near me. I thought she was a friend. I opened up to her. And I cheated on you with her." She said hoarsely, feeling like she was about to pass out.

Paige moved closer to Emily. "Hey. Don't be too hard on yourself. They probably planned all of this after the accident." She said softly.

"Yeah but it wouldn't have worked if I weren't so vulnerable." Emily said quietly.

"Em, Alison learned from CeCe. These people are good at manipulation among other things. They would have found another way to ruin our lives." Paige said firmly. She wasn't going to let Emily keep blaming herself.

"And I asked you to be civil around her. And you didn't even flinch. You told me it was fine if I was friends with her." Emily continued, seemingly not registering Paige's words just now.

Paige touched Emily's knee gently. "Well now that you know the truth you can't not be." She explained. "It would tip her off. Whether I told you the truth or not, you can't stop being her friend. At least not right now. You can't change how you interact with these people. That's why I asked you not to react when I told you earlier." Paige said urgently.

"But you said she caused the accident. I don't think I can look her in the eye and not want to hurt her. She put you through so much." Emily said stubbornly.

"She put _us_ through so much." Paige corrected. "I know how you feel, Em. Believe me. When she triggered my memory earlier I wanted to lunge at her but I knew something was off so I reined it in. I felt sick to my stomach too when I found out but I had to pretend I wasn't suspicious of her. We didn't know her part in all of this until I remembered back at the restaurant." Paige admitted.

"How did you remember?" Emily asked worriedly, looking at the girl beside her.

"I think she triggered it." Paige answered uncertainly. "Whether it's intentional or not I can't tell but I couldn't let her know that I remembered something."

"What _did_ you remember?" Emily asked gently.

Paige closed her eyes for a moment, swallowing hard. "Moments before we crashed I yelled for my dad to watch out." She began.

"Yeah. I remember that." Emily said, taking Paige's hand in hers, letting the other girl know she's right there.

Paige finally opened her eyes. "You guys were so worried about me that none of you noticed the hooded figure that stood in the middle of the road until it was too late. It looked like it came out of nowhere. It just stood there like it was waiting for us. Taunting us to come at it. That's when I yelled for my dad to watch out." She said hoarsely.

"So how did you know it was Tara?" Emily asked, confused.

"When the car went past the figure, when it veered off the road and hit the steel barriers, it was a split second but the figure gave me a two-finger salute before the car went over the cliff." Paige said, pained as the memory of what happened moments before the crash finally came rushing back to her.

"Like Tara did earlier tonight." Emily concluded.

Paige nodded. "Yeah." She said hoarsely. She turned to look at her girlfriend. "Has she ever done that the entire time you guys hung out?" She asked quietly.

"No." Emily said, shaking her head.

"Then she may have intentionally triggered my memory." Paige said, distracted.

"But why now?" Emily asked worriedly.

Paige shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. But we can't link her to the accident just by a mere gesture. We need solid proof against them. I do know that because she tried to trigger it, they're going to keep a watchful eye on me and I think on you as well since Tara saw you as her way in." She said anxiously.

"This is the reason why you came back." Emily said, finally realizing why Paige was so angry when she saw her at the bus station.

Paige shook her head. "No. _You're_ my reason for coming back." She said softly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her girlfriend's ear. "But this is the reason why all you saw that day was the rage. I was furious at myself for entrusting you to her." Paige admitted, once again trying to fight the rage she felt the first time she saw the recording. "When I saw Tara in that footage I knew something was wrong. While I was away from Rosewood I still talked to Caleb just to check up on you. The night I saw you and Tara walking home together for the first time I called Caleb to ask about her and he said she was new in town." She explained.

"But this footage was of the entire day you went missing." Emily said, looking at the recording once again.

"Yeah. And a lot of time has passed since then. I don't know how you'd define new in town but I don't think months after the accident still qualified as such." Paige said anxiously. "And then a few weeks ago, when we had that talk in Radnor, when you told me that you first met her at the rental shop and that she said she was new in town that day it solidified the fact that she was lying."

"Because she was already in town the day of the accident." Emily concluded.

"I tried to warn you, Em. Without tipping her off. But in the end I realized I should just let things be for now. I can't risk her knowing about it. I figured just because we're not together doesn't mean I can't do anything to protect you." Paige explained. "Besides, if she meant to harm you she could have done it when she had all those chances but she didn't. It's either she really fell for you..."

"Or she's still just using me to be near us." Emily finished. She swallowed hard when she realized how far Tara went to ingratiate herself into their lives.

"What is it?" Paige suddenly asked when she noticed Emily's uneasiness.

"The night she first walked me home my car won't start again. It was the second time it happened since the day of the accident. I was at the marina and I was in such a hurry to get home because you were going to call. I ran into her and I had no choice but to ask her for a ride. We were almost here when her car started to malfunction." Emily said quietly.

"It was probably a ploy to start getting closer to you. What did Triple A say about your car?" Paige asked curiously.

"The mechanic said the computer system in my car short-circuited. Like a burst of energy was applied to it that's why it wouldn't start." Emily revealed.

"Both times?" Paige asked.

"Yeah." Emily answered. She studied the image once again. "How do they all know each other?" She asked, looking at her girlfriend quizzically.

Paige shrugged. "That's what we're still trying to find out. I mean CeCe and Jason we get, but CeCe and Tara and Jason and Tara... I was actually hoping you could tell me." She admitted. "Did Tara ever talk about CeCe or Jason?"

Emily shook her head. "Never. And CeCe and Tara didn't seem to know each other when we ran into her." She said absentmindedly.

Paige furrowed her brows in confusion. "You ran into CeCe and they pretended not to know each other? When?" She asked urgently.

"I don't remember." Emily admitted. "But after CeCe made a comment about how good Tara and I looked together and how I was enjoying myself while you were gone I was so upset I left and went home." She said, suddenly ashamed.

"They were playing with your guilt, Em." Paige said quietly.

Emily looked at Paige apologetically. "I don't want to keep hurting you by telling you what I was doing with Tara while you were gone."

Paige shook her head. "Em, it's fine. I wanted you to move forward, remember? At the time I thought Tara was the person who could do that for you so don't feel guilty for spending time with her. Really. Right now we're trying to figure out how these things fit. Okay?" She said, cradling Emily's face gently.

"Okay." Emily nodded before biting her lower lip anxiously. "Paige, I think CeCe and Jason were the ones who followed you while you were away and it was because of me." she said hesitantly, trying to figure some things out herself.

"Em, you can't keep blaming yourself." Paige said consolingly.

"No. Listen. The night you said I could come with you, I was in a hurry to get home to start packing but then I bumped into Tara." Emily began. "She asked me where I was going in such a hurry and I said we were leaving the next night. But I didn't tell her where we were headed because at the time we weren't sure. I think she told CeCe and Jason and that's when they decided to follow you."

"Why do you say that?" Paige asked.

"Something Aria reminded me about the day we were supposed to leave. Earlier that day I decided to spend time with my friends because I thought it was going to be quite a while until I see them again." Emily explained. "Spencer was running late and when she arrived she said it was because Jason asked to meet with her to say goodbye because he planned on setting sail with his girlfriend starting that day. Spencer said she was surprised that her brother was seeing someone but Jason told her he and Lucy have been together for quite some time. He just didn't bother introducing her." Emily paused before continuing hesitantly. "Jason owned the slip beside your dad's right?"

"Yeah." Paige answered, nodding. "Why?"

"Well ever since you left I never saw his boat again whenever I came there." Emily revealed tensely.

"He can't have followed me and Dani by water." Paige said dubiously.

"I know. I'm just saying I think he had to move that boat somewhere if he didn't want anyone to find out what he was really doing all this time. It could be his alibi." Emily reasoned out.

"Okay. I'll ask Caleb and Dani to look into it. What about CeCe?" Paige asked. "What made you think she was following me too?"

"Well on my way home that day I stopped by her boutique to return the earrings I borrowed from her. That's when I met her assistant. She admitted it was her first day and said that I missed CeCe. She just went home to pack because apparently she had to take care of some business outside of town and she had to leave that day. Back then I didn't think much of it but now, I think they're the ones who followed you. We never saw Jason but CeCe, we saw her around." Emily explained.

"Because she came back whenever I did." Paige said breathlessly.

"Yeah. Up until a year ago. She said she wanted to attend this school in Milan so she won't be coming around anymore. But I think it was because you stopped visiting me." Emily said.

"The day I decided to talk to Tara and let you go was the last time I came to Rosewood. Since then Dani and I have been on the road." Paige admitted.

"That's why we never saw her for a year. She and Jason were following you the entire time." Emily said anxiously.

"I'm so sorry, Em. I shouldn't have left you." Paige said apologetically.

"We can't keep thinking about what would've happened if you didn't. For all we know we could be in a worse situation right now. I'm just glad you're back." Emily said, taking Paige's hand in hers.

"Me too." Paige said, squeezing Emily's hand.

Emily stared at the image in front of them once again before speaking. "Paige, Aria and Hanna are starting to get suspicious of Jason. I think he made a mistake when we were at the hospital. He was probably keeping tabs on Dani's condition. You guys need to tell them about all of this." Emily said quietly. "Especially Spencer."

"I know." Paige replied. "I'll let Caleb and Dani handle that. We can't risk being seen all in one place at the same time. They would know something's up."

"Well if you think their focus is on you and me, I have an early shift tomorrow at the Brew and Tara's going to be there. She won't miss work because she knows I'll come in for work too. So I guess that's one person less to worry about." Emily said, trying to ease her girlfriend's worry.

Paige nodded reluctantly. "As much as I hate the thought of leaving you alone with her now that I know what she did, we can't change how we act around them. I'll drive you to work tomorrow but I need to borrow your car after. I'll pick you up after your shift." Paige said, a plan taking shape in her mind.

"Yeah sure you can borrow it. But where are you going?" Emily asked, curious.

"You could say I'm following up on a lead but it's more like proving a hunch." Paige explained. "Before we discovered that footage we followed Ali's trail to a motel on the outskirts of town. Dani and I asked if anyone by the name of Alison DiLaurentis rented a room there and the manager said no. But on a hunch Dani showed him a photo of Ali and he said the girl in the photo did rent a room but it was under a different name. We asked if she was with anyone at the time but he said no. However, he said Ali specifically asked for the room next to a couple who just checked in."

"Who?" Emily asked anxiously.

Paige shrugged. "At the time we didn't find out. It was useless to ask for a name since if Ali was clever enough to not use her real name when she checked in, chances are so were the couple she followed. We tried asking for a description but the couple he described didn't fit anyone we know." She explained.

"So why are you going back there?" Emily asked, confused.

Paige exhaled. "I'm just following this hunch I have that they were wearing a disguise when they checked in." She admitted. "If these people have nothing to hide, they wouldn't care if I went back. Once I leave they'll just follow me. But if one of them was in that room, they would want to know what I was doing there. I don't need to ask the manager if he recognizes them without the disguise. I just need to pretend I'm still following that lead to buy the others enough time to meet."

"So you're going back there alone?!" Emily asked incredulously. "I can't let you do that. They're after you."

Paige nodded her head grimly. "Exactly. You've got your shadow I've got mine. Like I said, they tried to trigger my memory so they're probably watching my every move. They're not paying attention to the others." She said, hoping she was right.

"But I don't want you to go there alone." Emily said worriedly.

Paige gave her girlfriend a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. I'll be really careful." She promised. "I'll pick you up after your shift, not a minute too late." Paige said confidently.

Emily sighed. "Okay." She said, knowing it was the only way to give the others a chance to meet. They sat in silence for a while until Emily saw a look of confusion cross her girlfriend's features. "Something else is bothering you." Emily said as she reached out to stroke Paige's cheek softly.

"Yeah." Paige answered distractedly. "I just don't get it. There were four of you and Tara stayed to watch you guys. I left and two of them followed me? Why? What's so important about me?" She asked, baffled.

"Well you said it yourself. Maybe they thought you knew something or found out something and they were scared." Emily said, trying to help Paige figure things out.

"I know but what could I possibly know? I mean, are they waiting for me to realize they caused the accident? Because Tara triggered my memory. What would they accomplish by doing that?" Paige asked, starting to get frustrated.

"Maybe they want you to realize something. These people like playing games. They don't tell you what they want directly. They want you to figure it out." Emily said, brushing a strand of hair away from her girlfriend's eyes. She felt Paige's frustration and she wished she could help her.

"But what?" Paige sighed, upset.

"Hey." Emily said softly. "Don't get frustrated. Something must have gone wrong that day on their end. That's why they needed you to realize it too. They had everything planned out but they didn't expect something. What could have gone wrong?"

Paige furrowed her brows, deep in thought. "Well I guess they didn't expect you to unknowingly join the game so that's something that went wrong on their side. They didn't want any survivors." Paige said uncertainly.

"But if they didn't want any survivors why aren't they actively coming after you? What are they still waiting for?" Emily thought out loud, starting to get confused as well. "I mean yeah they're threatening to kill you but so far it's been an empty threat so what do they still want?"

"Oh no." Paige said suddenly, her eyes gleaming in the dark with panic and realization. "Why didn't I think of that sooner?"

"Thought of what?" Emily asked, aware of the panic in her girlfriend's voice.

Paige swallowed hard. "_What do they still want?_" She said, repeating Emily's words out loud while saying it over and over in her head. "I got it wrong. _We_ got it wrong." She whispered urgently. "All this time we thought they were following us because they were scared that we might find something and they were willing to do whatever it takes to stop us from doing so. I didn't see the other side of things. I was so focused on trying to find proof against them I didn't even ask why they're back to torturing us. Why they're still tracking our movements. It wasn't because they were scared. These people were never scared. They wanted me to find out what really happened that night. To find out about the game. They wanted me to realize that something went wrong. But that somehow what happened that night turned out to be in their favor."

Paige felt Emily's hand on her knee and she looked at her girlfriend, trying to stay focused. "You're right. They could have killed me but they didn't. Because they needed me for something. Yet for some reason I am indebted to them for keeping me alive all this time. And now they're waiting for me to repay them. They want me to realize why the accident happened in the first place. Why I was missing, why my parents were looking for me. What they wanted that night. I left and they followed me. I came back and they followed me." She said hoarsely, her breathing becoming ragged. "I was playing into their hands all along. They knew I would go to Dani for help and from there I would find out what my parents were keeping from me."

"So why are they still after you?" Emily asked anxiously, knowing Paige found the answer to her question.

"Because they never got what they wanted that night." Paige said, looking at Emily intently.

"The file? But you said the floor safe was empty." Emily said, baffled.

"Yeah. It was. But it doesn't mean that they got the original file. I think my dad kept close to him a copy of the file." Paige said tensely.

"So where's the original?" Emily asked.

"I don't know. But I'm sure that's what they're still after. They think I could lead them to it. I know why they tried to trigger my memory." Paige said confidently.

"Why?" Emily asked, worried.

"Because they wanted me to shift my focus and realize that we're both after the same thing. They want that file because it's evidence against them. I want that file for the same reason. So I have to find it." She said determinedly. "They won't lay a finger on me until I have that file. They'll just keep watching." Paige said, the gears in her head working in overdrive. "And I plan on using that to my advantage."

* * *

_"Oh my god you should've seen Ryan's face when he found out I was only 13. He was so freaked out he couldn't get out of the room fast enough. This is going to be so much fun." Alison exclaimed giddily as she followed CeCe inside the latter's bedroom, having enjoyed a day at the yacht club._

_"So you really like older guys huh?" CeCe asked in amusement, an idea taking shape in her mind. __**This girl is the perfect solution to our problem.**_

_"You could say I'm fascinated with them. They seem so..." Alison said, pursing her lips to think of a good word._

_"Worldly?" CeCe offered, raising an eyebrow in amusement._

_"I was going to say sexy but worldly seem more appropriate." Alison said, giggling._

_"Then I have to introduce you to this guy I know. He's worldly enough for you. I promise." CeCe said mysteriously, knowing it was going to pique the girl's interest. It worked._

_"I'm game. I could have a little fun before my family heads back to Rosewood." Alison said as she plopped down on the bed and surveyed CeCe's room._

_"You're from Rosewood?" CeCe asked, surprised. __**Huh. What a small world.**_

_"Yeah. Why?" Alison asked, still looking around._

_"I know a guy who lives there." CeCe said offhandedly._

_"You __**know**__ a guy or you're __**with**__ a guy?" Alison asked teasingly._

_"Both." CeCe said coyly._

_"Spill!" Alison squealed as her eyes fell on CeCe's bedside table._

_"Not yet. I'm still trying to see if he's a keep or a fling." CeCe said, checking her reflection on her full-length mirror._

_"I need to go." Alison said, getting up and heading towards the door._

_"What? But we just got here." CeCe said, confused about the girl's sudden desire to leave._

_"I know but I remembered I promised my dad I'd be home early today." Alison said as she placed her hand on the doorknob, gazing at CeCe thoughtfully._

_"Suit yourself. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." CeCe said flippantly, not bothering to look the other girl's way._

_"Yeah. Sure. If nothing else comes up. I'll see you around Cil." Alison said noncommittally as she hurriedly left CeCe's room._

* * *

"Can't sleep?" Jason asked worriedly as he entered the living room once again, surprised to see that CeCe was still where he left her hours ago.

CeCe glanced at Jason before returning her attention to the video playing on the TV screen, not bothering to answer his question. He stood behind the sofa CeCe occupied and watched the video as well.

"Why are you watching that again?" He asked after a beat, his eyes never leaving the crudely made video, its audio barely audible. He finally averted his eyes and stared at the back of the head of the girl sitting on the sofa.

CeCe hit the pause button on the remote control and finally looked at Jason, pointing a finger on the screen as she talked to him. "This video was made the day your sister took everything away from me." CeCe said spitefully. "Tonight I needed a reminder of what I lost that day and what I'm willing to do to get it back."

"She's your sister too." Jason reminded her quietly as he moved to sit beside CeCe, trying to calm her down.

CeCe sneered. "No. She's not." She said scornfully. "Sisters are supposed to have each other's backs, not backstab them." She looked at Jason with disdain. "You're supposed to be on my side."

"I _am_ on your side." Jason stated. "I've _always_ been on your side. But lately this doesn't feel like it's a relationship anymore." When CeCe didn't say anything, he decided to drop the matter for now. "What do you plan on doing next?"

"Never take my eyes off the ball." CeCe declared. "She's right. We'll stop with the incessant texts and just follow them instead. Especially Pigskin." She said decisively.

"We can't risk not watching the others." Jason reminded her. "Tara has her eye on Emily; you've got your eye on Paige. I'll have to keep an eye on the others then." He decided.

"How?" CeCe asked, eyebrows raised. "You can't be seen walking around town."

"I think it's time I returned from my sailing trip don't you think?" Jason said before standing up. "You've been back for a sufficiently long enough amount of time. I think it's safe to say I can make my return tomorrow night. Just to make sure no one sees where the Charles has been all this time." He said with finality before leaving CeCe alone once again.

* * *

Paige stirred from her restful sleep and broke into a soft smile. "You know, it's rude to stare when someone's trying to sleep." She said lightly, not bothering to open her eyes. She broke into an even huge grin when she felt Emily's lips on hers, giving her a soft, lingering kiss.

"I like waking up next to you." Emily confessed as she caressed her girlfriend's face, moving her body closer to Paige as she did so.

Paige wrapped her arm around Emily's waist, pulling the girl closer to her before she slowly opened her eyes, staring right into her girlfriend's mesmerizing brown orbs. They stayed that way for a few moments, just staring into each other's eyes, breaths mingling due to the proximity of their bodies. They finally grinned at the same time.

"You're so beautiful." Emily whispered breathlessly, her eyes taking in every inch of Paige's features before kissing her girlfriend again, slowly shifting her position until she was finally on top of Paige.

"You're topping me." Paige murmured in between kisses, reveling in the feel of Emily's body against hers. Every inch of them seemed to fit perfectly against each other and she sighed in contentment. "I could definitely get used to waking up like this." Paige said when Emily sat up straight, her legs planted firmly on either side of Paige, straddling the girl beneath her.

"Me too." Emily replied, gently brushing a strand of hair away from Paige's eyes.

Paige broke into a grin. "It's our first morning back in Rosewood as a couple." She said blissfully as she took Emily's hands in hers, bringing them to her lips and kissing them. She moved their hands to her chest while she continued to stare at the raven-haired beauty above her.

Emily removed her hands from Paige's and placed it on either side of her girlfriend's waist. Wanting to feel Paige's smooth skin, she slowly lifted the hem of the other girl's top; just enough to place her hands inside and touch Paige's sides. She chuckled when Paige jerked at her touch.

"I forgot how ticklish you are." Emily said, the laughter evident in her voice.

Paige linked her hands underneath her head, trying to seem unaffected. "No you didn't." She said breathlessly.

Emily's eyes twinkled in amusement. "No, I didn't." She whispered as she began caressing Paige's soft skin.

"Stop that." Paige begged, barely able to get the words out as she struggled to stay still, afraid that Emily might fall off her if she suddenly moved.

"Stop what?" Emily asked innocently as she began to draw circles on her girlfriend's skin.

Paige groaned and bit her bottom lip, moving her hands to stop Emily's. "That." She said as she began to chuckle, unable to hold it anymore.

"I missed hearing you laugh." Emily said, her smile making Paige's heartbeat increase its tempo.

"I missed making you laugh." Paige said as she touched Emily's silky hair. She suddenly became serious. "Em, about yesterday, what happened in the van. I want us to talk about that." She said quietly.

Emily slowly removed her hands from underneath Paige's top and moved to sit on the bed next to her girlfriend. Paige sat up and gently forced Emily to face her. "You didn't want to talk about it last night. But we _have_ to talk about it." Paige said softly.

"I know." Emily agreed reluctantly. "I'm _so_ sorry." She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"_This_ is why we need to talk about it." Paige said lightly. "Em, you have nothing to apologize for." She said adamantly. "Whatever we discussed in the van yesterday doesn't change things. None of it was your fault and I'm not saying that because you're my girlfriend. I'm saying it because that's the truth." Paige said softly. "Em, you saved my life. That's what matters. Not what happened after. Because we had no control over the events that followed. Spencer said it herself, those people had no intention of letting me and my parents survive the night." She said as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind Emily's ear.

"Look at me." Paige said gently.

Emily finally mustered the courage to look Paige in the eye and saw nothing but overwhelming love. Choking back a sob, Emily hugged Paige tight and felt the other girl's arms wrap around her firmly. "The reason I'm with you right now, why we're together right now, is because you saved my life that night." Paige whispered in Emily's ear.

"So in case I didn't say it before, _thank you_. For going out into the pouring rain when I missed our date that night because you know I will never be late considering what we were celebrating. For trusting your instinct and knowing where I could be when my parents didn't. Thank you for searching for me that night." Paige said tenderly as she pulled back and wiped the tears that flowed freely from her girlfriend's eyes. "So please forgive yourself. Okay?"

Emily nodded and slowly wiped the few tears that remained in her eyes before smiling at Paige, starting to feel better. The words her girlfriend just uttered convinced her that Paige really never blamed her all these years and she felt she can finally forgive herself.

Paige felt the change in Emily's mood and quickly got out of bed, holding her hand out to her girlfriend. "Let's go make ourselves some breakfast then." She said eagerly.

Emily took Paige's outstretched hand and got up. "You do owe me breakfast since we skipped dinner last night." She said lightly before realizing what the day has in store for them.

Paige twirled Emily once before wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist as they headed for the door, planting a soft kiss on Emily's head as they walked.

"Please be careful." Emily begged as Paige opened the door for her.

"I promise I'll come home to you." Paige said sincerely as Emily closed the distance between them and stepped into Paige's arms.

* * *

"What the hell is the matter with you people?" Hanna said in greeting once Dani opened the door to Caleb's apartment.

"And a good morning to you too." Dani said as she held open the door and waited until Hanna, Spencer and Aria have entered before closing it. She turned to meet their impatient looks.

"What's going on?" Spencer asked, getting straight to the point.

"Well?" Hanna asked, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "What's so important you had to drag us out of bed so early?"

"And why do we need to come in our candy striper outfits?" Aria added as she looked at the outfits she, Spencer and Hanna were wearing. "Our shifts aren't until this afternoon." She said, confused.

Dani shook her head and moved past them. She wasn't going to let them suck her in another game of 60 questions. "I'll let Caleb explain." She said as she knocked on the door of her brother's room before going in.

Caleb looked up from behind his laptop screen and motioned for them to get inside. "Sorry." He began, looking at Hanna apologetically. "This might take a while and I knew you had your striper duties this afternoon that's why I asked you to come wearing those." He said as he nodded his head towards their outfits.

He gestured for them to take a seat on his bed and turned his laptop towards them, the footage ready to play after he explained things to them.

"I'll go make coffee." Dani offered as she went outside and closed the door behind her.

Once Dani left, Caleb turned his attention back to the three people sitting on his bed. "Emily and Paige are buying us some time that's why they're not here. Paige told Emily everything last night and she called me this morning to ask me to show this to you and fill you in on the rest of the leads we found." When no one said anything, he continued. "Last night one of the 'A's made a move by triggering Paige's memory while she and Emily were out having dinner. She didn't let on that she remembered something so she thinks they still believe she doesn't remember anything before the accident."

Caleb took a deep breath, dreading the moment he had to play the footage. "Well as you all know, I've been helping Paige the entire time she was away. One of the things she asked me to do was to look for any footage the marina might have of the night of the fire because it might yield some leads. But unfortunately their security feeds that night were all down so I decided to look somewhere else." He began. "After hacking into the feeds of the nearby establishments that surrounded the marina and sorting through hundreds of footages, I finally struck gold. Although we're still not entirely sure that this is all of them, we think these people had something to do with what happened." He said, finally letting them see for themselves what he, Dani and Paige have been hiding all this time.

Spencer watched intently as her brother came in and out of view, studying his interaction with CeCe and Tara. When the footage finally came to an end, she stood up abruptly. "Nothing seems out of place there." She said, just like how Paige told Caleb Spencer will probably react.

Caleb looked at Hanna and Aria, silently asking them to tell Spencer about what they found out. Paige told him that Emily said the two girls were starting to get suspicious of Jason themselves and Paige was counting on them to convince Spencer.

"Spence." Aria began. "Jason was lying to us the whole time when we ran into him at the hospital and when we had dinner with him the next night." She said regretfully.

She and Hanna took turns explaining to their friend what they've found out so far, from Aria bumping into the OB who was supposed to have been with Lucy at the time they were talking, to Hanna's suspicion that Lucy doesn't even exist, and finally to Aria admitting that the employee she talked to at the marina where Jason supposedly rented a slip said there was no record of his name and his boat's name ever docking there, explaining she called last night after she looked up the marina's website from her tablet while they were on their way home. But Spencer still refused to believe them.

"There has to be a reasonable explanation other than my own brother being behind this mess the entire time." She said, still in denial.

"Tara was supposed to be new in town the day Emily met her for the first time at the rental shop. That was months after the accident." Caleb explained patiently. "Tara showing up in this footage on the day of the accident is in itself fishy. And Jason and CeCe never seemed to get along. They claimed they had an intense relationship. So why do they seem to get along well here?"

"I don't know but I'm going to find out." Spencer said determinedly as she headed for the door, thinking of a way to reach Jason and confront her brother directly.

Hanna and Aria quickly followed her out of the room to try and stop her. "Spencer wait." Aria said anxiously.

Spencer was almost at the front door when Dani stood in front of it, blocking her path. "Move." Spencer ordered edgily.

"Listen to your friends." Dani said calmly. "You've trusted them for years. Don't start doubting them now." She said quietly. "I can't let you walk out of this room because once you get out of here you are putting 6 other lives in danger and I can't let you do that. Look at me." Dani said, pointing to her sling and the bandage around her head. "I got lucky this time. But there might not be a next time. Right now Emily and Paige are out there risking their lives to make sure we get you three to understand the gravity of the situation. So please listen to your friends." She pleaded.

Spencer was about to protest when her phone suddenly rang. "It's Jason." She said, surprised. She tried to mask the inner turmoil she was feeling at the moment and answered her phone. "Hey." She greeted him lightly. "Oh. Really? For good? When? Tonight. Yeah. That's great. Where's Lucy?" She asked, trying to indirectly get answers. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

Spencer paused for a moment before deciding to ask something. "Hey Jason, I'm really sorry I won't be meeting her anytime soon but I really wanted to know what she looks like. Can you describe her to me?" She listened intently, her pulse beginning to race. "Wow. She really sounds gorgeous. I'm sorry you two decided to take a break for now. I'm sure things will work itself out. Okay. Yeah sure, no problem. Thanks for the heads up." Once the call ended, Spencer turned to face her friends.

"He said he's coming back. Tonight he's coming back. Might be for good. He said him and Lucy decided to take a break after the whole pregnancy problem. That sounds legit right?" Spencer asked hoarsely.

"But?" Aria asked quietly.

"We need to get to the bottom of things. I'll let you guys take the reins. I won't put your lives in danger." Spencer promised.

"Spence what did Jason say?" Hanna asked, concerned.

"Well I asked him what Lucy looked like. And I really don't know what's going on but he just described in perfect detail someone who looks like Tara." Spencer said disbelievingly.

* * *

_"Help me carry the body. Quick, before someone sees." CeCe said to Jason urgently as she struggled to drag Alison's lifeless body._

_"You're bleeding." Jason said worriedly as he touched the side of CeCe's forehead gently._

_"I'm fine. She caught me off guard. It's just a gash." CeCe said impatiently._

_"Careful." Jason said as he took off his jacket and bunched it up, handing it over to his girlfriend. "Here. Try and stop the bleeding before some of it gets on her body. We can't risk leaving any evidence." He said as he lifted Alison's body over his shoulder while watching CeCe wipe the blood from her forehead._

_"This is her fault. If she stopped meddling this wouldn't have happened." CeCe said angrily._

_"It's over. She won't be able to bother us again." Jason said as they stopped in front of the unfinished gazebo, dropping his sister's body unceremoniously on the ground next to it before dragging it once again._

_"We have to make sure it stays that way." CeCe said, fighting the overwhelming urge to vomit as she watched Jason begin to bury Alison's body._

_Jason stopped what he was doing to look at CeCe. "It will. Trust me. I'll make sure we get the happy ending we deserve. I love you." He said, hugging his girlfriend tightly._

_"I love you too." CeCe said, looking at Alison's half-buried body before closing her eyes._

* * *

"What is she doing back here?" Jason asked from behind the wheel as he and CeCe observed Paige from a distance.

"Beats me. I guess we'll have to wait until she leaves before we can find out." CeCe said, not taking her eyes off the door Paige disappeared behind seconds ago.

"Do you think she figured it out?" Jason asked worriedly.

"I doubt it." CeCe said dismissively. "She's still probably obsessed with the nonexistent couple Ali followed that day.

"This place brings back bad memories." Jason said as he closed his eyes in frustration.

CeCe finally took her eyes off the motel and looked at Jason. "Your sister is one of a kind. I give her that. She managed to follow us here. But she was too meddlesome for her own good. She had it coming." She said resolutely.

"The only reason our parents kept silent all these years is because you managed to convince them that what happened was an accident. And that we panicked that's why we buried the body." Jason said, turning his head to stare at CeCe. "What happens if they realize the truth?"

CeCe scoffed. "You're wrong. That wasn't the only reason. I managed to keep them silent because I made them realize their indirect role in all of this. So if I were you I wouldn't worry about them too much." CeCe said warningly before turning her attention back to the entrance.

A few minutes later, Paige finally emerged from inside the building and hastily made her way towards Emily's car.

"That's our cue." CeCe said determinedly as she watched Paige drive away before getting out of the car and following Jason as he made his way towards the motel.

* * *

"What's their motive?" Spencer asked as she continued to pace the entire length of the living room of Caleb's apartment. "I mean this couldn't have been random. They must have a motive. Every crime committed has one. So what's theirs?" She asked helplessly before facing her audience.

The rest of her friends stared back at her in helpless silence as they sat on the long couch in Caleb's living room. They only had a few hours left before she, Hanna and Aria had to leave for the hospital and they decided to use the remaining time to think of possible reasons as to why Tara, Jason and CeCe wanted Ali dead.

"Well what are the usual motives for these kinds of things anyway?" Caleb asked as he stood up to let Spencer sit. He grabbed one of the four chairs from the dining table and deposited it in front of the couch to face them. "I mean, let's think of why people usually kill someone." He said distractedly as he started shuffling the deck of cards on the coffee table between them.

"From all the movies I've watched, there are a lot. But I think we can rule out politics and drugs." Spencer volunteered as she perched her elbow on the armrest.

"Yeah I don't think Ali will be involved in those things. How about jealousy?" Aria offered beside Spencer.

Hanna shifted in her position from the other end of the couch and turned to face them. "Jealousy? I don't know. That is some twisted reason. I mean, why would any of these people be jealous of Ali?" Hanna asked as she held up the printout to show them. "She was barely a teenager when she was killed."

"Revenge?" Dani offered uncertainly as she sat between Aria and Hanna. "Could these people have killed her for revenge?" She clarified.

"It's possible. But what did she do, for them to want revenge against her?" Caleb asked as he continued to shuffle the cards absentmindedly.

"We're going about this the wrong way." Aria said suddenly. "Instead of thinking of reasons why they would kill Ali, let's think of Ali." She said, to the confusion of the others.

"What?" Hanna asked. "We _are_ thinking of Ali."

"I think she means ask yourselves what Ali did to piss these people off." Dani explained, looking at Hanna. "You were her friends. What sort of thing would she do that would earn the ire of those people?" She said as she nodded her head towards the printout Hanna still held in her hand.

"The one thing Ali was really good at was being meddlesome." Spencer admitted reluctantly. "She likes sticking her nose in other people's business."

"So maybe she found out something about these people. Something she wasn't supposed to and they killed her because of it." Caleb said cautiously.

"I don't think it's that simple." Spencer said uncertainly. "She may have found out something she shouldn't have but I don't think she's one to just spill the beans. I think she did something more about it."

"Like what?" Hanna asked as she looked at Caleb, who at that moment managed to spill the cards he was shuffling all over the coffee table.

Dani rolled her eyes at her brother as she helped him clean up the mess, picking up cards as she tried to focus on the conversation around her. She was about to say something when her eyes landed on the card she was holding and a wave of nausea suddenly hit her.

"The notebook." Dani said breathlessly, suddenly remembering what she wanted to tell Paige and Caleb moments before she fell.

"The film?" Caleb asked, confused.

Dani managed to let out a laugh as she fought the urge to spill everything to them. "No doofus. But I think it's adorable that that's the first thing that crossed your mind. How many times did Hanna make you watch it?" She asked teasingly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Caleb said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest defensively.

"Fine." Dani said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway. The notebook. Before I fell. That was what I wanted to show you and Paige." She explained as she looked at her brother.

"You remembered?" Aria asked, surprised. "That was fast."

Dani smiled wryly. "I guess I'm an overachiever. But it had to do something with this." She said as she held up the card she held in her hand. "I remembered why I was so excited when I saw that notebook. I accidentally found it inside a fake electrical outlet when I used the bathroom. It was Ali's."

"What's in it?" Spencer asked anxiously.

"Well for one you were on the right track when you said she did more with what she found out whenever she meddled in other people's business. She blackmailed them." Dani explained, glancing at Spencer briefly. "There were a lot of names in that notebook. Those people have motive for wanting Ali dead. But that wasn't what caught my eye." She said slowly.

"Well were their names in that notebook or not?" Hanna asked impatiently as she pointed to the people in the printout which she placed on top of the coffee table minutes ago.

"I don't know." Dani admitted. "I didn't see any of their names. But there were two names that stood out and that's why I was in a hurry to show it to Caleb and Paige that day."

"Why? What's so important about those names?" Caleb asked urgently.

Dani swallowed hard. "Well for starters, they weren't names." She said as she placed on the middle of the table the card she was holding for them to see. "They were codenames."

* * *

"How'd the rest of your dinner go last night?" Tara asked as she touched Emily's shoulder lightly.

Emily tried her best not to cringe and turned to face the girl who managed to ruin their lives by simply standing in the middle of the deserted road on a rainy night. She put on her best attempt at a smile she was used to giving Tara and took a deep breath. _For Paige_. "Really good." She began, smiling genuinely once she thought of Paige. "It was our first night back in Rosewood as a couple so, it was really good."

"I'm really sorry for almost ruining your date last night. Showing up like that and seeing us at the same time must've been hard for her." Tara said, seemingly genuine in her apology.

"It's okay. She told me it doesn't bother her and I believe her so, running into you last night wasn't a big deal." Emily said as she made her way to clean a table.

"So how was the rest of the trip anyway? Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" Tara asked as she moved to follow Emily around.

Emily forced herself to keep her cool. _I can do this_. "No. Nothing interesting. Unless you count Paige's best friend falling down the stairs and going into surgery because of it." She said, trying to hide the anger and accusation in her voice.

Tara furrowed her brows in worry. "That's terrible. But she survived right?" She asked, pointedly ignoring a customer trying to get her attention.

"Yeah. She has a clavicle fracture so her arm's in a sling and she can't seem to remember what happened moments before she fell but other than that she's recovering well." Emily answered, making her way towards another table, hoping Tara would stop talking to her, her grip on the tray she's holding tightening as she fought for control.

"What's there to remember?" Tara asked, helping Emily clean the tables this time. "It was an accident right?" She asked, looking at Emily intently. "You're not saying someone purposely pushed her down the stairs."

"Of course not. It was an accident." Emily said, standing her ground as she met Tara's eyes. "We just want to know how she managed to fall." She explained. "What she was doing before she fell."

"Well maybe she'll remember it sooner or later." Tara said as she held the entrance door open for Emily.

Emily willed herself to give Tara a grateful smile before heading inside.

"But recalling memories can be tricky." Tara said as she followed Emily to the kitchen. "I mean sometimes they never return and it's better that way."

"Other times?" Emily asked as she put down the dirty dishes on the sink before making her way towards the front of the shop once again.

"It would be better if they remembered. It could save their life." Tara said smoothly as she followed Emily.

Emily forced herself to keep walking, willing for her steps not to falter as she headed for the door. Her shift was finally over and just outside she could see Paige waiting for her by the passenger side of her car. _Not a minute too late_. _Just like she promised_. She couldn't wait to get outside and run to Paige's side. To safety. Before she could grab the door handle though, Tara stopped her.

"Hey. You almost forgot this." Tara said as she tugged on Emily's apron, reminding the girl that she was still wearing one.

Emily managed to give Tara a grateful smile and took it off. "Right. Thanks." She said lightly.

"You're in such a hurry to meet Paige you're starting to forget seemingly insignificant stuff." Tara said, chuckling. "If you could see your face right now Emily. You look so happy it's like you're on drugs or something." She said, holding open the door for her.

Emily uttered a silent prayer of thanks that her elation to see Paige hid her desire to run away from Tara and she turned to face the girl. "It's that obvious huh?" She said, managing to make a joke when she thought about Paige waiting for her right outside. _She wouldn't let anything happen to me_.

Tara grinned. "Yeah. I guess I got my wish. Now I'm about to be treated to front row seats of you and Paige during your glory days as Rosewood's 'IT' couple." She said, looking past Emily to study Paige.

"I don't know about that. But be careful what you wish for." Emily said lightly as she stepped outside of the Brew to make her way to Paige, forcing herself to walk the way she always did when she's about to meet Paige in the past.

"Oh trust me, this was one wish I'm glad came true." Tara said before closing the door behind Emily.

Paige forced herself to stay in place and wait for Emily to come to her instead, knowing Tara was watching them. She knew Emily wanted nothing more than to run towards her but she knew her girlfriend was restraining herself from doing so. Paige wasn't going to let Tara's watchful eyes change how they interact though. Lifting herself off the door to the passenger side of the car, she briefly turned her back to Emily to get something from inside her girlfriend's car through the open car window.

Emily broke into a dazzling grin when Paige turned to face her again, holding a bouquet of yellow tulips.

"Hey." Paige said when Emily was close enough, giving her girlfriend a soft smile before handing her the bouquet.

"A bouquet?" Emily said, the delight evident in her voice as she took it. She immediately forgot Tara's menacing words just now. "What happened to a single flower each day?" She asked as she closed the distance between them.

Paige held open the passenger door. "Yeah well a single flower doesn't seem enough to let you know how hopelessly in love I am with you." She said softly before giving her girlfriend a deep kiss. "A bouquet doesn't come close as well but they can't seem to point me to a never ending field of yellow tulips." She said teasingly and was about to say something else when she felt Emily's lips on hers.

When they finally came up for air, Emily kissed Paige on the cheek before getting inside the car. Paige closed the door with a grin and before going to the driver's side, stole a quick glance at Tara knowing she was watching them. She casually raised her hand in greeting as the other girl acknowledged her before getting in and starting Emily's car. They drove in silence before Paige took Emily's hand in hers and squeezed it lightly.

"Are you okay?" Paige asked worriedly, briefly glancing at her girlfriend.

Emily nodded wordlessly, her other hand touching the bouquet of tulips on her lap. "Better when I saw you standing outside." She admitted quietly. "How'd things go on your end?" She asked, looking at Paige.

"Well they definitely followed me." Paige said wryly. "I think they're still there when I left. I'm sure they're going to ask the manager what I wanted to know. But I guess Caleb and the others got a chance to talk."

"So it was really them?" Emily asked anxiously.

Paige nodded before she removed her hand from Emily's to get a photo on the sun visor in front of her and gave it to the girl beside her. Her girlfriend took it wordlessly and bit her bottom lip in amusement at Paige's attempt of drawing the disguise over the two people in the photo.

Paige sighed. "Yeah I know I'm the world's worst sketch artist but it doesn't matter. I just needed them to waste their time on me." She reasoned out when she noticed Emily trying hard to control her laughter. "Hey it's the best I could do." She said defensively.

"And the manager understood that this was supposed to be a goatee?" Emily said teasingly as she pointed to the vertical line Paige drew underneath the now unrecognizable guy's chin.

"Well no." Paige admitted, blushing. "I had to tell him what it was. But the point is..."

Emily's infectious laughter filled the car and Paige shook her head wryly, trying to seem offended.

"The point is." Paige tried again to make Emily stop laughing at her crude drawing. "The point is it's one of them." She finally said as she stopped the car at a red light. "Even with that barely recognizable photo, the fact that they went in after I left only shows that they understood what I was doing there. If they weren't interested in that place they would have followed me once I left."

Emily finally stopped laughing and planted a sound kiss on Paige's lips. "I know babe." She said softly. "But thanks for making me laugh." She said as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well I think you could use one." Paige said, smiling before taking Emily's hand in hers once again. "What happened with Tara?" She asked as she resumed driving when the light turned green.

"It went okay." Emily said, shifting her attention to the road ahead of them. "If she was my friend I would have thanked her today actually." She said, her mind returning to the conversation she had with Tara before she left.

"Why?" Paige asked, confused.

"Because something she said made me realize that we failed to see something that has been staring us right in the face all along. If I'm right we have another lead we can pursue." Emily said nervously. "But we need the others' help to get it."

* * *

_"You and Jason need to get out of this town." The voice on the other end of the line made CeCe roll her eyes in irritation. __**Jessica DiLaurentis**__._

_"Why?" CeCe asked, adding a tinge of terror and panic in her voice._

_"Christopher York just talked to us. He said he's going to reveal the results of the test to the cops. His conscience is keeping him up at night. You two need to get out of town." Jessica said pleadingly._

_"I thought he agreed to keep the matter silent? I thought he gave you the file?" CeCe asked helplessly. "I don't want to go to jail mom. I don't want to leave you and dad behind. I just found you guys. I don't want to leave town."_

_"I know honey. But we can't convince him to keep silent anymore. So please. You have to leave us behind." Jessica said, starting to sob quietly._

_**Ugh, useless woman**__. "When?" CeCe asked, seemingly terrified._

_"Tonight. So you and Jason have to leave. Please." Jessica begged._

_"Okay. I'll leave. But Jason doesn't have to come with me. He can stay. The cops aren't interested in him." CeCe said, a plan starting to form in her mind before quickly ending the call and making another one. "It's me. I have a job for you."_

* * *

"So? What's the verdict? Is Paige getting any closer?" Tara asked once CeCe and Jason entered the house.

CeCe sat down next to Tara and shook her head.

"Figures." Tara said, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Where did you two go anyway?"

"The motel." Jason replied as he sat on an adjacent couch. "We thought this time she'd actually ask the manager about us. Turns out she's still hung up on that couple in disguise."

"What? She went there to ask about it again?" Tara asked incredulously. "Wow. That girl is stupider than I thought possible."

"Yeah only this time she brought with her a photo of some couple who wasn't me and Jason. She thought if she drew the disguise over them and the manager recognized it, she's on the right track." CeCe said, irritated. "And now she's on an entirely different path because that dim-witted manager said it was. So Paige thanked him and then hurriedly left, actually saying he was a big help. Stupid. Both of them." She said, barely restraining her anger.

"Pease tell me we are not staying in this town for another year!" Tara said, horrified. "We need to speed things up."

"We will." Jason promised. "I promise things will change around here. But tonight I have to make my return to Rosewood. I'm heading to the marina in a few." He said before making his way upstairs.

* * *

Dani finally opened the door on the third knock, steeling herself when her eyes landed on Paige and Emily standing outside. Wordlessly, she held the door open for them and closed it once they've entered.

"Where're the others?" Emily asked as she looked around the living room.

"Striper duty." Dani said as she led the way to Caleb's room once again. "They left early. Said it was better if they left without you guys arriving. Less chance of your tails knowing they were just here in case you've been followed."

Dani was about to head straight for her brother's room when she felt Paige's hand on her shoulder and immediately stiffened. She silently cursed herself for her knee-jerk reaction to Paige's touch but she can't help it. Being around them was harder than she thought.

Paige felt the change in Dani's posture and quickly took her hand off the other girl's shoulder. "I brought you cupcakes." She said quietly when Dani finally faced her, timidly handing the box to her best friend. "We bought them on the way over." _Great. Say that it's from you and Emily. That would make things less awkward_.

Dani swallowed hard and looked at the box Paige held out to her. _You're not helping Paige_. She reluctantly took the box from her best friend. "Thanks. But you guys shouldn't have." She said quietly before placing it on the dining table.

Not bothering to look at Paige, she proceeded to head over to Caleb's room, determined to put some distance between them. She knocked on the door and opened it, motioning for them to go inside before following.

Caleb looked up from behind his laptop and smiled. "Just in time." He said as he tapped a few more keys before finally turning his full attention to them. "I'm guessing things went well on your end?" He asked, looking at Paige.

"Yeah. It's them." Paige said quickly. "You guys talked to the others?" She asked, her eyes involuntarily traveling to Dani.

Caleb nodded. "Spencer was about to walk out of here but Dani convinced her to listen to Aria and Hanna." He explained.

"Thanks Dani." Paige said sincerely, trying to get the other girl to talk to her, but Dani just nodded, still barely acknowledging Paige's presence. She felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Ready to get to the bottom of things?" Caleb asked, trying to cover for the tension in the room.

"Yeah." Emily answered as she sat on Caleb's bed and motioned for Paige to sit next to her.

Caleb noticed his sister's discomfort when he saw her steal a glance at the empty space beside Paige on his bed. The only other space she could sit on except for the floor. _Crap_. He quickly stood up and gestured for Dani to sit on his chair instead, opting to stand while he explained things to them. Dani gave him a relieved smile and wordlessly sat down in front of the laptop.

"Okay then. Facts first. The only footage I found of significance that night was the one of that boat and the slip it occupied." Caleb began. "I asked the manager and she said that the slip actually belonged to Kenneth DiLaurentis but he had been subletting it for years to a Mr. Alan Moore." He continued.

"We tried to find out what we can about him a few weeks ago but it turns out there are a lot of Alan Moores out there and we can't exactly do a background check on each of them. We tried to find the connection between Kenneth and Alan and initially came up with nothing." Dani finally chimed in.

"Until we saw an Alan Moore whose last known address was at the East Hamptons. Near the house Ali's family and later Ali herself, rented during the summers." Caleb said. "So we went to his house before going to the local market. We figured it wouldn't hurt to check the place out."

"Did you find anything?" Emily asked anxiously.

"Yeah. This." Caleb said as he handed to Emily the photo he and Dani took from the Moores' house.

"This is Ali." Emily said, baffled.

"That's what Hanna said too when she saw it accidentally at the hospital. She said she saw it in Ali's room." Caleb said as he took the photo back.

"Yeah. We all saw it. It was on her bedside table." Emily said, nodding her head in affirmation.

"But did she tell you it's her?" Caleb asked anxiously.

"No. It's not like we had to ask. We just assumed it was her. I mean who else could it be?" Emily asked as she looked at Caleb and Dani, confused.

"Back then I think she thought it was her too. Before she realized the truth herself." Caleb explained.

"What truth is that?" Emily asked.

"Well I have this theory that this isn't Ali. It's her sister." Caleb said quietly.

"Wait. What?" Paige asked in disbelief. "Why would Ali have a photo of her sister on display?" She asked, confused.

"Because at the time she thought it was her." Caleb explained. He turned his attention to Emily. "You and your friends said it yourself. Ali likes to poke her nose in other people's business. What if one day that caused her to discover this?" He said as he held up the photo. "She was probably rifling through her parents' stuff and accidentally found this. She thought it was her so she took it."

"So what happened in between?" Emily asked, puzzled. "How did she go from finding that photo to ending up dead because of it? She can't have been killed because she found out she has an older sister."

"I really don't know. But I think the answer lies in Alan Moore." Caleb said hesitantly.

"And yet we still have no way of connecting Kenneth DiLaurentis to Alan Moore." Paige stated, starting to get restless.

"No. And it's really hard to find anything on someone who shares a name with so many people. An address isn't enough. We need more to narrow down our search." Caleb said ruefully.

"Well we can find out when he purchased the house." Emily suggested.

"Good idea." Caleb said as he went around his desk to begin doing a search on his laptop. A few keystrokes and he nodded his head. "Okay, it says here he purchased it in 2006."

"That's a year before Ali's family spent a summer there." Emily said.

"So before he arrived there, where did he live?" Paige asked.

"No known address in the US." Caleb said as he glanced at his laptop.

"The boat's name is in French though so somewhere in France probably." Dani suggested hesitantly as she looked up at her brother.

Emily was suddenly hit with an idea. "The exchange student program." She exclaimed. She tried to control the excitement in her voice. "You guys won't find the connection between Kenneth and Alan. It's between Jessica and Alan." She said breathlessly. She turned her attention to Caleb. "In Jessica's file, did it mention where she stayed during the exchange student program?"

"Yeah." Caleb said as he typed a few search strings before finding what he was looking for. "Here. Oh." He said, disappointed.

"What?" Paige asked anxiously.

"She stayed with the Mellencamps." Caleb said.

"Maybe they changed their names when they came here?" Emily asked.

"Doubtful." Dani said as she peered at the file on Caleb's laptop.

"Why?" Paige asked.

"The family has two children, both boys. One is eight and the other is ten around the time Jessica stayed with them." Dani answered matter-of-factly, still not bothering to look at Paige. "Dead end." She declared.

Emily shook her head. "No. It can't be that easy. We have to think like Jessica did at the time." She insisted.

"Okay. How do we go about that?" Caleb asked, curious to hear what Emily had in mind.

"Well for starters, you need to find the file of the list of students who went on that exchange student program and filter the names of the boys. Whichever families they stayed at are of no interest to us. We need the girls' files." Emily said confidently.

* * *

_"This isn't getting us anywhere." CeCe said, the frustration evident in her voice as she and Jason watched absentmindedly from inside her store the people walking past her boutique. "Those girls don't know anything. Ali showed them a different side of her. They don't know what that girl does when she's on her own." She said, irritated._

_"Would you stop being so impatient?" Jason said, turning his attention to his girlfriend._

_"I refuse to live the rest of our lives in fear." CeCe said, glancing at Jason briefly._

_"Then let's just leave Rosewood. Start over somewhere." Jason said insistently._

_"We talked about this already." CeCe said impatiently. "Leaving isn't going to solve our problems. What we need is to get to the bottom of things once and for all. We need to find that file."_

_"Well I'm all for that idea but where do we even start looking for it?" Jason asked helplessly._

_CeCe rolled her eyes at Jason's worthlessness and focused her attention to the passersby. She was about to turn her back to the street when she saw Emily and Paige walking hand in hand. They were about to cross the street when Paige moved to Emily's other side, making sure she was on the side of the oncoming traffic as Emily seemed to pay no attention to the road, talking animatedly to Paige. CeCe was hit with a sudden realization._

_"Rosewood's 'IT' couple." CeCe said, her voice dripping with disdain as she nodded her head towards the direction of Emily and Paige, watching them as Paige held the door open for Emily as they entered a shop._

_"What about them?" Jason asked curiously._

_CeCe turned her attention to the guy standing next to her. "Pop quiz. If your family was driven out of Rosewood and you went into hiding, would the desire to be able to live your life again ever go away?" She asked lazily._

_"Probably not." Jason answered, running a hand through his hair._

_"And knowing your family could still be in danger, would you bring the file with you or leave it to someone you trust, like a family friend? Someone who still lived in Rosewood just in case a new lead is discovered that could support the evidence you were hiding all this time." CeCe asked, a plan beginning to take shape in her mind._

"_You think the file is in Nick McCullers' possession?" Jason asked, finally getting what CeCe was thinking._

_"The Yorks are closer to the McCullers than they are to your family." CeCe said. "It's not that big of a leap."_

_"Are you sure?" Jason asked hesitantly._

_"Only one way to find out." CeCe said, smirking._

_"You are __**not**__ talking about asking her for help again." Jason said incredulously._

_"That girl is a mastermind. She got us that file on Christopher York didn't she?" CeCe said flippantly._

_"Yeah but that girl gives me the creeps and I haven't even met her. What makes you think she'll move here just to help us out?" Jason asked, starting to regret asking what his girlfriend had in mind._

_"She likes to have fun. That girl is a better manipulator and actress than Ali ever was. She's my masterpiece. I'll give her a new toy to help her pass the time while she's here." CeCe said, chuckling. "Trust me love. She will drive a wedge between those two and when this is all over, Rosewood's 'IT' couple will be no more but a sob story." She promised._

_"Suit yourself. What's our first step?" Jason asked._

_"I need to make a call." CeCe said as she headed for the backroom._

* * *

A cautious knock on her bedroom door made Tara look up from what she was reading. She didn't even bother to ask CeCe to come in since the girl immediately poked her head inside the room. "You busy?" CeCe asked, looking at the reading material on Tara's bed.

"Yes. Because there's just so much potential in this town to keep me busy." Tara answered, not bothering to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

CeCe cringed at those words but regardless, decided to enter the room.

"Where's Jason?" Tara asked as CeCe sat beside her.

"On his way to the marina." CeCe answered dismissively. "Listen, I didn't come in here to talk about him. I came here to say I'm sorry for snapping at you last night."

"I'm used to it." Tara said casually before returning to what she was reading.

CeCe closed the magazine Tara was pretending to read, forcing the other girl to listen to her. "I mean it." She said quietly. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess. I know how much you want to leave this place and I can't really blame you. I promise we'll move things along."

"I believe you." Tara said, not meeting CeCe's eyes. "And you didn't drag me into this mess. I wanted to help you. It's the least I could do for being the reason you came here in the first place."

"I don't regret doing that." CeCe said reassuringly. "I just want to leave all of this behind and start over. But I can't do that until that file is in my possession. So I won't rest until I get my hands on it."

"Well that makes two of us then." Tara said determinedly.

* * *

"Okay I've narrowed it down to a handful. What's next?" Caleb asked, looking at Emily as he hurriedly stood up again to let his sister sit on his chair. Dani refused to sit beside Paige the entire time Caleb was doing the search on his laptop and though they all understood why, everyone chose to ignore the elephant in the room instead.

"Is there any way you can hack into a census of the year Ali's mom stayed there? Maybe we can find out which families had an addition to theirs once Jessica left." Emily said, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything.

"Okay." Caleb said, cracking his knuckles comically before burying himself in front of his machine once again.

Paige used the lapse in conversation to try talking to Dani again. She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "So. How are you doing?" She asked quietly as she stared at Dani. "I mean, your shoulder, is it healing well? Do you have any headaches?" Paige rambled on. _Why are you so nervous? She's your best friend_. She chastised herself.

"Not so much no. I'm going to see the doctor tomorrow for a checkup." Dani answered offhandedly, her attention focused on her brother entirely like he was the most fascinating person in the world.

"I can go with you." Paige volunteered timidly.

Dani shook her head. "Caleb's got it covered. But thanks for the offer." She said, finally glancing at Paige briefly. _Don't make things harder Paige_. _Please_. She knew she was being rude but she couldn't think of any other way to let go of Paige. She needed to keep her distance even if it meant hurting her best friend intentionally because of it. _I'm so sorry_.

"Right. Of course." Paige said hoarsely, feeling herself blush again.

The awkward silence that followed was broken by the sound of Caleb clapping his hands together. "Here it is. A handful of them had a kid that year." He said, excited.

"Any of them named the Moores?" Paige asked, trying to focus her attention on the mystery rather than on her best friend's desire to pretend she doesn't exist.

"No." Caleb said, his celebration cut short.

"Dead end." Dani declared once again.

"We're not giving up that easily. Let's find out what we can about these families." Caleb said determinedly, refusing to let the trail go cold again.

Dani turned Caleb's laptop screen to face her and stared at the list of names. "Uh Caleb, I hate to break this to you but there's twenty five of them. This is going to take us at least half a day." She said, groaning inwardly.

"You mean a day." Caleb corrected. "Dani you're still recovering. You need to let me do all the work for now."

"Yeah Dani. Come on. Don't push yourself too hard." Paige said quietly, still trying to get Dani to talk to her.

When Dani didn't even acknowledge Paige's concern, Caleb decided to step in once again. "This is going to take a while. If there's anything we'll let you know." He said, giving Emily and Paige the chance to get out of there for now.

Emily took the hint and gave Caleb a grateful smile. "Thanks." She said, standing up. She knew Paige was really upset by Dani's aloofness."Come on Paige. We don't want to be late for our dinner reservation." She said, lying through her teeth.

Paige looked up at her girlfriend in confusion. "We have a reservation?" She asked.

"We do." Emily said firmly, taking Paige by the hand and practically dragging her girlfriend out of there.

* * *

"I didn't know you can reserve this spot." Paige said quietly as she dipped her feet in the cold water, getting used to the temperature.

They were sitting on the slip where the Kismet used to dock, the moonlight illuminating the seemingly endless body of water in front of them. After dinner at one of the restaurants lining the boardwalk, Emily asked Paige to walk around with her, knowing her girlfriend needed someone to talk to about what was happening between her and Dani.

"Yeah I kinda had to lie about that." Emily admitted sheepishly.

"I figured." Paige said, giving her girlfriend a grateful smile before kissing her softly. "But thanks for doing so."

Emily kissed Paige on the cheek before taking her girlfriend's hand in hers. "You okay?" She asked quietly. "You've been quiet since dinner. Do you want to talk about it?"

Paige shook her head. "No." She answered distractedly. She suddenly looked up at the stars above them and sighed. "It's nights like this that I really miss Kismet." She confessed, changing the subject.

Emily decided to let the matter drop for now and stared at the night sky as well. "Yeah. Me too." She said quietly. She suddenly laughed at a memory. "Remember that afternoon we went sailing and then we fell asleep on the boat? We spent the night at sea and our parents were freaking out the next day when we came back." She said, taking her eyes off the sky to look at Paige. Her girlfriend staring at the sky in contentment was a far better view.

Paige smiled. "Yeah. That was hilarious." She said, looking at Emily. "They thought we eloped or something. I will never forget the terror in their eyes. I actually thought your dad was going to drag me all the way to Texas just to make sure it doesn't happen again." She said, chuckling.

"And I thought your mom was going to take me by the hand and talk to me about the joys of marriage against eloping." Emily admitted, the memory making her smile in amusement.

"Yeah that's probably what my mom would have done." Paige said quietly.

Just like that the light atmosphere between them shifted once again. "I'm sorry." Emily said suddenly.

"For what?" Paige asked, looking at her girlfriend in confusion.

"I didn't mean to make you sad." Emily said apologetically.

"What? Hey. No. It's okay. It just feels weird because I haven't talked about them to anyone since they died." Paige explained, not wanting Emily to feel guilty.

Emily leaned her head on Paige's shoulder. "I can't imagine the loneliness you felt all this time. Even if you had Dani in the years you were away."

"I was still lonely." Paige admitted, her voice cracking at the mention of Dani's name.

"There's no replacing that void. Even I can't fill it Paige." Emily said quietly.

"Yeah. And I'm not expecting you to. It's just that right now what makes it unbearable is the fact that they were taken away from me so violently. For a file. A piece of paper." Paige said, starting to get upset.

"To them, their life depended on it. That's why they're willing to do whatever it takes to get it back." Emily said sadly.

"When all of this is over, let's go back to the Hamptons. Just you and me." Paige said quietly, putting her arm around Emily's shoulder.

"I like the sound of that. But you have to promise me something first." Emily said seriously.

"What is it?" Paige asked, kissing her girlfriend's head softly.

"Promise me you'll never go away again." Emily said, her voice catching in her throat. "When things become too hard between us. Promise me you won't leave me." She said anxiously.

"I promise." Paige said sincerely. "I just got you back, Em. I don't want to go through the pain of losing you all over again."

"Good. Because I don't want you to ever let me go." Emily confessed, turning her head towards Paige and capturing the girl's lips with hers.

When Paige moved to deepen their kiss, Emily turned her body and wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, clinging to her girlfriend as she moved her hands and tangled it in Paige's hair. When the intensity of their kisses finally died down, she rested her forehead against Paige's, staring into her girlfriend's eyes before moving her lips to kiss Paige on the cheek. She felt her heart skip a beat when she noticed Paige's cheeks darken, the night unable to hide her girlfriend's blush. She turned to face the open waters in front of them. They sat in comfortable silence before Emily spoke again.

"Paige." Emily began softly.

"Yeah?" Paige answered as she took Emily's hand in hers and intertwined them, studying how they fit perfectly.

"I want you to be able to talk to me about anything that's bothering you. We promised things will be different this time right?" Emily said gently, trying to get Paige to talk to her.

"Right." Paige said hoarsely before taking a deep breath. She bit her lower lip before speaking. "I'm sorry. I just don't want you to feel like I'm starting to regret ending things with Dani. Because I don't. But..." She struggled to finish what she was trying to say but she felt the tears coming.

"It really hurts right now doesn't it?" Emily finished for Paige, gently brushing a tear that rolled down her girlfriend's eye.

"I don't want to be selfish. I said that. And I meant it. And I know she needs her space and she wants to get over me. And I'm probably making things harder just by being around her. By being nice. By treating her the way I always have. Because nothing's the same and I don't want to hurt her but now I'm hurting too." Paige admitted brokenly, her voice cracking.

Emily hugged the devastated girl beside her. "I'm so sorry you lost your best friend." She whispered, her voice breaking when Paige finally held her tight and started sobbing. "Things will get better." Emily said consolingly. "I promise it will. You guys have been friends for years. She just needs time."

"I wish she never fell for me." Paige said desperately. "I don't want to keep hurting her."

"Hey." Emily said, kissing Paige's head softly. "You can't blame yourself for this okay? You can't. Don't take that feeling away from her because even if Dani may be hurting right now she doesn't regret falling in love with you. I'm sure of that." She said, stroking Paige's hair gently.

"I made such a mess out of everything and now I don't know if we'll even be friends again." Paige whispered miserably.

"Of course you will. Didn't she say you two will find a way to be friends again eventually? She just needs time." Emily said, rocking Paige gently.

"She said this isn't like the last time we stopped being friends because we're not fighting this time. But I think that's what made things worse. When I told her back then that we should stop being friends if it was hard for her to see us together, I was forced to choose. I felt so horrible but I didn't want to keep hurting her." Paige confessed.

"And now you felt you had to choose again." Emily said sadly.

"I'm not blaming you, Em." Paige said, trying to control her sobs.

"I know. I'm not saying you are. I just want to understand you." Emily said reassuringly.

"I felt I had to choose again." Paige admitted miserably. "And she didn't even struggle to fight it this time because she knew it was the right thing to do. But I really miss her, Em." Paige said sadly.

"I know." Emily said, kissing Paige's forehead gently. "I know babe. And I'm sure she misses you too."

Paige let herself be comforted by her girlfriend as she let out her tears of pain and regret. She had never felt this helpless when it came to Dani and she was glad she had Emily beside her. She was about to speak when she noticed the boat that was about to dock beside the slip they sat on.

"Jason's out of hiding." Emily whispered anxiously. She felt Paige's grip on her hand, reminding her to keep calm and she willed herself to avert her eyes and focus on her girlfriend instead. They are, after all, on a date.

"Evening ladies." Jason greeted them once he disembarked from his boat to dock it.

"Spencer said you were coming back tonight." Emily said in greeting, surprised she was able to keep the suspicion out of her voice.

"Yeah. I am. Decided to take a break from sailing since my girlfriend said she needed one. From us." Jason said as he continued to dock his boat.

"I heard about that. I'm so sorry. I wish I could have joined you guys for dinner back at the Hamptons but I had other plans that night." Emily said as she began rubbing Paige's back gently.

Jason finally focused his attention to them. "I guess I missed a lot huh. Last I heard you two were on the outs but from the looks of it you two are on a date of some sort." He stated as he continued to study them. "This spot is kinda depressing for a date though don't you think? I mean, this was your dad's slip if memory serves." He said, staring at Paige.

Paige shrugged. "I find it romantic actually." She said, refusing to avert her eyes from Jason.

Jason shrugged nonchalantly. "Well then I guess I'll leave you two alone for the night. Let you enjoy the moment. You never know what tomorrow might bring." He said before slinging a bag over his shoulder and walking away from them.

Paige forced herself not to follow Jason's retreating back and instead shifted her attention to Jason's boat. "We need to find out where he hid this thing for two years." She said quietly.

Emily leaned her head on her girlfriend's shoulder once again, suddenly feeling exhausted. "I know." She agreed softly. She didn't know how Paige could have gone on for so long looking at these people straight in the eye, all the while fighting the urge to attack them for what they've done. She was starting to realize just how strong Paige is and it made her really proud. "I love you." She whispered fervently, knowing how much everything was taking its toll on Paige. With those three words, she wanted to remind the girl beside her that she isn't alone.

"I love you too." Paige said emotionally as she wrapped her arm around Emily's shoulder and gave her a soft kiss on the head. "Thank you." She whispered softly, understanding what Emily was trying to tell her.

They sat in comfortable silence until Paige felt her phone vibrate. She carefully took it out of her back pocket, not wanting to change the position of their bodies and quickly read the message. Paige kissed Emily on the head one last time before speaking.

"It's Caleb. He said they have something." Paige said anxiously.

* * *

The moment Paige and Emily entered Caleb's apartment, she was startled to see three other people inside the room. "What's going on?" She asked urgently. "We just saw Jason at the marina. He could have followed us here."

"It doesn't matter right now." Caleb said tersely as he made his way towards the living room, the laptop in his hand. "What we found is really big and this can't wait until tomorrow. No one followed them on the way here." He explained as he nodded towards Spencer, Hanna and Aria, who sat on the couch. "Hanna assured me. They didn't have a tail. But if you think Jason followed you two here then after this you and Emily can leave first." Caleb said, looking at Paige.

"Yeah. We can leave at a later time. We have no problem with that." Aria said reassuringly.

Paige took a deep breath to calm herself, finally making her way further into the room, holding Emily's hand in hers. She tried to look at Dani but as usual, her best friend didn't acknowledge her presence. She let Emily sit on the sofa with her friends and stood behind her. Once Caleb saw that everyone's settled down, he placed his laptop on the coffee table and opened it, turning the screen towards him to check on something as he took a seat on the dining chair he placed opposite them.

"So get this. Alan Moore is one smart dude. He made sure no one would find out about his life in France." Caleb began excitedly. "We didn't have to do background checks on all those families."

"_I_ didn't. You were on your fifth name when I was struck with something odd." Dani interjected, correcting her brother.

"What was it?" Emily asked as she turned her attention to the girl seated on the other dining chair beside Caleb's.

"All these names. They're French names and surnames." Dani revealed as she held up a printout of the list of the twenty five families they were supposed to do background checks on.

"Yeah. So?" Emily asked, confused.

"Alan Moore isn't. It's an _American_ name." Dani explained. "Specifically, it's an Americanized French name for one _Alain Morin_." She said as she looked at Caleb.

"Once Dani figured that out, we found the file of the Morin family and guess what?" Caleb asked, enjoying the suspense he was causing.

"What?" Paige asked impatiently.

"They had two kids that year." Caleb said as he checked his laptop once again before turning his attention back to them.

"Twins?" Spencer asked, confused.

"No. There's no record of birth for the other one. But there's this. A voluntary surrender was filed for the other kid." Caleb said as he showed them a printout of the form he found earlier.

"Ali's sister." Emily said breathlessly.

"Except not. Jessica didn't stay with them remember? She stayed with the Mellencamps." Paige said, suddenly disappointed.

"Yeah but Jessica Pryce is smart. She will go out of her way to cover her tracks if it meant that baby will never be found." Aria said, remembering Jessica's file.

"What, you're saying she gave it to them without knowing who they are?" Hanna asked, looking at the girl seated next to her.

"What's the name of the girl who stayed with the Morins?" Emily asked anxiously as she perched her elbow on the armrest.

Dani rummaged the printouts scattered across the coffee table before finding the file. "Uh, Erin Vasquez." She read.

Caleb did a quick search on his laptop before shaking his head in disbelief. "Well guess who's best friends with her?" He said, showing them the result of his search.

"Jessica Pryce." Spencer said breathlessly from the other end of the couch as she stared at a photo of Ali's mom and a girl who could pass as her twin, both grinning for the camera, arms around each other's shoulder.

"She probably asked for Erin's help in convincing the Morins to adopt her baby." Emily said, looking at the voluntary surrender form.

"Or _maybe_ they switched places. Jessica pretended to be Erin and Erin pretended to be Jessica the whole time they were there." Dani said as she started rummaging through more printouts, looking for something she saw earlier.

"What makes you say that?" Aria asked from beside Emily.

Dani finally found what she was looking for. "This is a photo from the school newspaper of the school they attended in France. Look at the names below. Notice something odd?" She asked as she handed the paper to Aria. Paige moved closer to look at the printout as well.

"Their names." Paige said, noticing the mistake immediately.

"Yeah." Dani said, still not looking at Paige. "Theirs were the only ones that were interchanged. It's not hard to pull it off. They _do_ look alike. Same build, height, hair color."

"The Morins had money, that meant they have the means as well. They own a hospital among other businesses. It would be easy for them to adopt a baby without all the hassle." Caleb said as he checked his laptop once again.

"The Morins. What happened to them?" Emily asked, intrigued.

"Well like I said they moved here in 2006 and Alain Americanized their names. But after that, nothing. They still owned the house but they're leasing it. No one has seen them since then." Caleb answered.

"Please tell me you guys found out the names of their kids." Paige said, looking from Caleb to Dani in breathless anticipation.

"It took a few navigations but I found them. When Alain and his family arrived here, there was only one daughter who came with them. The other one was left in France." Caleb explained.

"Why did they leave France?" Hanna asked, curious.

"Only they can answer that." Caleb said, shrugging.

"So who was the daughter who came with them?" Aria asked.

Caleb checked a flight manifest before answering. "Lucille Morin. She's Ali's sister I presume."

"Do you have an image of her?" Paige asked anxiously.

"It's still generating." Caleb said, pointing to his laptop.

"The other daughter, what's her name? The one who stayed in France?" Emily asked uneasily.

"Nathalie Morin." Caleb replied.

"And we don't have a picture of her either?" Spencer asked urgently.

"Will you people be patient? It's generating." Caleb said, rolling his eyes.

"Caleb, what's the name of the boat?" Emily asked hoarsely when her eyes fell on the printout of Tara, CeCe and Jason at the marina the day Paige went missing.

"_La Tentatrice_. Why?" Caleb asked, noticing what Emily was staring at.

"And you said it's French, right? What does it mean?" Emily asked nervously, a feeling of dread washing over her.

"It's French for _the temptress_." Caleb said as he turned his attention to his laptop once he heard it ping.

Paige looked at her girlfriend worriedly. "Babe, what's wrong?" She asked, touching Emily's shoulder lightly.

"I think I know who one of their daughters is. It's Tara." Emily said breathlessly.

"You mean Nathalie." Caleb corrected as he waited for the other photo to generate.

"Who?" Emily asked, confused.

"I give you Nathalie Morin a.k.a Tara." Caleb said as he turned his laptop to face them, showing them a photo of a young Tara and another little girl. "And her adoptive sister Lucille Morin a.k.a…"

"CeCe Drake." Emily whispered hoarsely.

"We got them." Paige said in disbelief.


	13. Execution

**DISCLAIMER**: _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters don't belong to me. Characters in this fanfic except for a few belong to PLL. Some events were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL so I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said, the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~Thanks for the continued support and appreciation of the story through all of your reviews.~**

**~Story's going to be done the day 3b starts so there are two more chapters left after this one.~**

**~This chapter contains a dream within a memory so I hope you guys don't get lost around that part…~**

_**Shokoshik**_**: As always, thanks for your PM review!~**

* * *

**CHAPTER 13: Execution**

_**"It is not reasonable that those who gamble with men's lives should not pay with their own."**_** – H.G. Wells**

_"Bienvenue en Rosewood ma petite soeur." CeCe said in greeting as she approached Tara, giving her sister a warm embrace once she alighted from the bus._

_"Merci!" Tara said, hugging her sister back._

_"How was the trip?" CeCe asked as they walked arm in arm and made their way towards the parking lot._

_"Uneventful." Tara said indifferently._

_"I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up from the airport." CeCe said ruefully. "We've been busy since last night, making sure everything's set for tonight like you asked us."_

_Tara shook her head. "It's fine." She said as she took in her new surroundings with little to no interest. "Setting the plan into motion is more important. I had no problem finding my way here on my own." Tara said reassuringly. "Speaking of. I can't believe Kenneth and Jessica chose to live here. It's quaint. Which means other than the paranoia you two have been causing all these years, this place is boring." She took off her sunglasses and eagerly looked at CeCe once they were inside the car. "Please tell me you're ready to liven up this town."_

_"Well now that you're here, I have no doubt that things will certainly liven up." CeCe said, giving her sister an amused smile._

_"Count on it. You and your beau have created quite a mess for yourselves. That wasn't the way to handle that annoying little sister of yours." Tara said as CeCe began the drive back to town._

_"I admit that things got a little out of hand. She had a tape of us and she was threatening to use it to expose us. Bribing her wasn't working anymore. She wanted us to break up." CeCe revealed, barely keeping the hatred out of her voice._

_"Luce, are you sure he's worth this? You can just end things with him and find someone else." Tara suggested as she checked her reflection on the side mirror. "Just say the word and I can make him take the fall."_

_"I know. But right now I'm still having fun with him." CeCe admitted. "Alison failed to understand that I do things on my own time. I'll break up with him on __**my**__ terms. Not because she told me to." She said indignantly._

_Tara looked at her sister briefly. "Well you __**did**__ train her how to manipulate people." She said matter-of-factly._

_"True. But she forgot the number one rule." CeCe retorted._

_"Everyone except you." Tara said bluntly._

_"Everyone except me." CeCe affirmed. "I may have trained her to choose the people she can manipulate. But when she found out about me and Jason she actually had the nerve to include me because it turns out that girl has a conscience when it comes to family." CeCe said, disappointed. She turned her attention to her sister for a moment. "But you. You've definitely surpassed me. Our seemingly philanthropic parents' untimely demise is a testament to that." She said approvingly._

_"Lucy! How many times do I have to remind you? Never speak ill of the dead!" Tara reprimanded jeeringly._

_CeCe let out a laugh before deciding to change the subject. "So, what do you think of my welcome gift for you?" She asked, a hint of curiosity evident in her voice. "I know she isn't exactly your type but I thought maybe you could have some fun while you're here. You'd have to wait for a while to meet her in person though. They had a late night last night. What with the engagement party and all." CeCe explained coolly._

_"I'm actually eager to meet her. This town doesn't seem to offer much but she definitely has me intrigued." Tara said as she studied the passing scenery. She let out a chuckle. "They just got engaged last night? Then this is going to be fun. If all goes according to your plan I might actually enjoy my stay here."_

_"Oh trust me. You'd have no trouble making her do as you please without her knowing. Alison had her wrapped around her finger for years." CeCe said reassuringly as she took the road that would lead her to their destination._

_"Well Emily was in love with her for years. She had an unfair advantage." Tara said wryly._

_CeCe waved her hand dismissively. "You don't need to make her fall for you. She's way in love with Paige for you to be able to come between them through that ploy. You just need to target her weakness. I'm sure you'll find a way." She said confidently._

_Tara nodded her head in agreement. "True. I could just mess around with her emotions. After all, I'm pretty good at manipulation myself." She said nonchalantly. "But we still have to see how things go tonight. I've decided that your idea will serve as the back-up plan to mine. I had some time to think on my way here and I have another thing in mind about those two." Tara revealed enthusiastically. "If you really want to teach these people a lesson, let's start by taking Paige out of the picture entirely. If all goes according to my plan I may not have to stay here that long. I don't need to ruin Emily's life because Paige's death will take care of that. But right now I'm more interested to see her. She seems feisty."_

_"Well I'm taking you to her right now. But I would have to apologize in advance on her behalf. She won't be able to receive you cordially. She's a little out of it." CeCe said, smirking._

_**88888**_

_"We managed to tap into the marina's security feeds last night like you instructed." CeCe said as she and Tara alighted from the car. "The intimate gathering Emily's friends threw for them served as the perfect cover. All we had to do was spread the word that there's a celebration down by the docks and the supposedly intimate gathering became a full-blown party in an instant. It was easy to get past security. You've got complete control of their feeds from the boat. We're practically invisible."_

_"That's good to hear." Tara said as she followed CeCe towards the direction of the docks. "I'll take care of the rest tonight. What about the cameras from the nearby establishments?" Tara asked as she observed the restaurants and shops that lined the boardwalk._

_"Those were a little tricky." CeCe admitted. "There's no way we can tap into all of them so we decided to tap the ones nearest to the Kismet's slip since that's where the action will take place tonight."_

_"I can work around that." Tara said reassuringly. "What about the establishments near this slip?" She asked as they reached Kenneth DiLaurentis' slip._

_"All tapped." CeCe said confidently. "Permission to come aboard?" She called out eagerly once she and Tara were standing near enough the boat to be heard._

_Tara surveyed the sailing vessel in front of her, her eyes landing on its name. "The Temptress?" She asked, not the least bit amused. "Really?"_

_"I know. He named it thinking of you." CeCe said, disgusted._

_"Of course." Tara said, barely hiding the revulsion she felt. She decided to change the subject, refusing to dwell on the past. "And Kenneth still lets you use his slip free of charge?" She asked, turning to face her sister._

_"They're overcompensating for giving me up." CeCe explained dismissively._

_"Manipulation at its finest." Tara said, amused._

_CeCe shook her head wryly. "I mean __**please**__. They gave me up to a __**lavish**__ lifestyle. A dysfunctional family but nevertheless, a remarkable sister. That was the best decision they ever made." She said bluntly._

_"But they didn't need to know that." Tara stated._

_"Of course not. My anguished and terrified daughter act keeps them from turning me and Jason in. And of course they have no idea we're still together." CeCe revealed as she looked at the boat once again, her face lighting up when she finally saw Jason emerge from below deck. "Speaking of." She said as Tara followed her sister's line of sight. "Jason. I'd like you to meet my sister, Nathalie." CeCe said, quickly making the introductions._

_"Thea for short but Tara since I arrived in Rosewood." Tara said, extending a hand to let Jason help her board the boat._

_"Nice to finally put a face to the name of the person who saved us from Christopher York." Jason said once he and Tara were standing in front of each other._

_"Please. Glad to be of service." Tara said indifferently. "How's the patient?" She asked eagerly._

_"See for yourself." Jason said as he nodded his head towards the direction of the deck below them. "Alison called her Pigskin."_

_"Lame." Tara declared, looking back at Jason._

_"Oh it's because she used to be a cutter." Jason explained._

_"Used to?" Tara asked doubtfully. "Trust me, that urge never goes away." She said, suddenly eager to get things moving with every new detail she finds out about the so-called 'IT' couple._

_"We need to get going. Her folks already left for Scranton early this morning." Jason said as he prepared to disembark._

_"You got the keys?" Tara asked._

_"Right here." Jason said as he gestured to the front pocket of his windbreaker. "Are you going to be okay here by yourself?"_

_Tara smirked. "I'm not the one you should be worried about." She said as she looked towards the direction of the deck below. "I can think of ways to pass the time." Tara said reassuringly as her eyes landed on the syringe Jason left on one of the seats._

_"Careful with that. She might overdose." Jason said when he saw what Tara was looking at._

_"And we can't have that now, can we?" Tara asked sarcastically. "Don't be such a worrywart Jason. I've got everything under control here. Find that file and then we'll see what happens next." She said as she gestured for Jason to leave._

_Jason hesitated as he contemplated whether to say something before deciding against it. "If she starts to regain consciousness there's more of that stuff in my duffel bag below deck." He said before disembarking._

_After watching their retreating backs for a few seconds, Tara finally made her way below deck, eager to lay her eyes on Paige. She grinned when she saw the unconscious girl lying on the bed. "Well you __**are**__ a looker. Such a shame your parents got involved in this. Now you're merely collateral damage." Tara said as she sat down beside Paige, preparing the syringe with the drug as she removed the air bubbles._

_"Just to be safe." Tara explained to the unconscious girl. "You're not restrained and I'm saving you for later so right now you have to stay asleep."_

* * *

Tara impatiently checked the time on her watch for what felt like the nth time, looking around her as she searched for the face that belonged to Paige McCullers. _I guess she doesn't know how to tell time as well. 8:30pm my ass_. She thought, irritated that the other girl had the nerve to make her wait. She checked the time again and decided to take a seat on one of the wooden benches that faced the open waters, letting out an annoyed breath as she waited for Paige to arrive. _This is what I get for offering to let them use my boat_. _If that girl doesn't arrive in the next 15 minutes I am out of here_. She thought resolutely as she checked her watch and took note of the time. _8:45pm_. _Time starts now_.

* * *

_Tara held the syringe in midair, her attempt to inject Paige with the drug for the fourth time interrupted when she felt her phone vibrate. Irritated that she was disturbed, she took out her phone and looked at it, rolling her eyes in frustration. "You're lucky." She said to an unconscious Paige before answering her phone. "Bonjour." She said in greeting._

_"We have a problem." CeCe's worried voice came on the other end of the line._

_"No, we don't. We have a Plan B." Tara reminded her sister patiently. "What happened?" She asked, sighing._

_"We can't find the file anywhere." CeCe said, frustrated._

_Tara checked the time on her watch. It was almost noon. "You've stayed there for too long. Go to Plan B and make sure the fiancée doesn't interfere." She said before abruptly ending the call. "Now where were we?" Tara asked as she focused her attention on the unconscious girl once again. She was about to go back to drugging Paige when she noticed the other girl's phone vibrate from the chair beside the bed. She quickly took it to see who the message was from, grinning widely when she saw Emily's name. "Oh speak of the fiancée and she doth text a message."_

_Tara hurriedly read the message and typed a reply. "Can't right now. See you later at dinner. You're in for a big surprise. Love you." She read out loud, satisfied with her reply. "And send. There. I guess that takes care of your fiancée for now." Tara said as she turned her attention back to Paige, injecting the unconscious girl with the drug once again._

_**88888**_

_"It's a good thing your slip is beside her folks'. Where's your boat anyway?" Tara asked as she waited for Jason to dock the Temptress beside the Kismet, studying the other boat with mild interest._

_"Storage unit." Jason explained quickly._

_"Take it out of there tomorrow. There's no need for you to do the disappearing act yet." Tara ordered as she started to make her way below deck. "Come on. Help me carry her. She's deadweight right now." She said as she gestured for him to follow her._

_Once they reached the bed, Jason studied the unconscious girl for a moment, making sure nothing's amiss before moving to carry her. However, when his hands made contact with Paige's skin, his eyes widened in surprise. "Thea, her skin's cold to the touch and I can barely feel her pulse. What did you do to her?" He asked in alarm as he turned to face the girl standing behind him._

_Tara shrugged indifferently. "Nothing. I just had a little fun. I needed to pass the time." She said offhandedly. When she noticed Jason's appalled look, she rolled her eyes in irritation. "Oh __**please**__ tell me you didn't decide to grow a conscience now. You buried your own flesh and blood after Lucy killed her. This isn't new to you."_

_Jason shook his head wordlessly and lifted Paige over his shoulder. "Are you sure we won't be seen?" He asked, hesitant to go above deck while carrying an unconscious girl._

_"Positive. The feeds are on a loop right now and I programmed them to shut down in a few minutes. As for eyewitnesses, there's barely anyone in sight. It's raining hard out there. Almost zero visibility. Everything's going our way." Tara said, extremely pleased as she led the way._

_Without another word, Jason transferred Paige on the Kismet with Tara's help. Once done, he turned to look at Tara, silently asking what she planned on doing next._

_"Go and meet Luce at the McCullers'. They're still out looking for their daughter. You two know where to find the file now. Go. I'll take care of this." Tara ordered as she began to study the Kismet's layout._

_"What are you going to do?" Jason asked before preparing to disembark._

_"Teach them a lesson they will never forget." Tara said coldly as she headed below deck._

_**88888**_

_"This wasn't the plan." Tara said in frustration as she and CeCe watched the funeral from a distance. "This wasn't the plan __**at all**__."_

_CeCe shifted her attention to the girl seated beside her on the passenger seat of the car. "It wasn't. But we didn't expect to find another copy of the file inside that safe as well. This works in our favor." She said as her mind started to formulate another plan._

_"What do we do now?" Tara asked as she turned her gaze towards her sister. "Since we still didn't get the file I'm assuming I'm prolonging my stay here." She said, the dread evident in her voice._

_"I'm so sorry Thea." CeCe said sincerely. "I know this wasn't how you wanted everything to turn out but you have to admit Pigskin surviving means we have another way to get to that file."_

_"She __**wasn't**__ supposed to survive. But I'm listening." Tara said warily._

_"You're going to hate me but I think we should lay low for a while. Let Pigskin grieve. Sooner or later she'll want to have answers about what happened." CeCe said as the plan began to take shape in her mind. "These people are going to play their part in my plan perfectly. I'm sure of it. All we have to do is push their buttons the right way."_

_"Just as long as I get to play with Emily." Tara said, thinking she might as well try to enjoy her stay. "I guess with these turn of events our back-up plan will now come into play and I get to drive a wedge between them. Although now I wish I got here sooner. It's more gratifying for me to ruin them before any of this ever happened."_

_**88888**_

_Tara studied from outside the rental shop the raven-haired beauty perusing the stands for movies. She felt someone stand next to her and shifted her attention to her sister._

_"Moment of truth." CeCe said, nodding her head towards the direction of Emily Fields. "I'd have to warn you though; the last thing she wants right now is for someone to come on to her. She's too preoccupied with Pigskin to pay attention to you."_

_"Oh I am counting on that. She's going to barely pay me any attention right now. Probably be rude to me too. Then she'll forget we've encountered each other today." Tara said eagerly. "But this is how some mistakes begin." She said confidently. "A few more chance meetings and a bold first move from me and that girl would find herself cheating on Paige. Especially with how much her fiancée has been pulling away from her lately. I'll be the sympathetic ear she needs. A breath of fresh air from how everyone has been treating her. She will find solace in my company. And I, in turn, will use that to create a fracture in their already fragile relationship."_

_"Well you better get in there then." CeCe said supportively. "Make me proud."_

_"Don't I always? I aim to please Luce." Tara said before giving her sister one last look and entering the store, eager to continue the domino effect they caused._

* * *

Paige slowly opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness of the room. Aware of the sleeping girl she held in her arms, she strained her neck to look at the clock on Emily's bedside table. _8:15pm_. Taking a deep breath, she kissed Emily's head lightly before carefully lifting the other girl's arm off her waist. She then did her best not to disturb Emily's slumber as she moved her girlfriend's head off her chest before getting out of bed. After getting dressed, she just stood for a brief moment and watched the rise and fall of Emily's chest, staring in awe at the naked girl she held just moments ago in her arms. Emily looked so peaceful while she slept that Paige started to have second thoughts about waking her up. But she knew she had to.

Kneeling beside the bed, she touched Emily's cheek gently and kissed her softly on the lips. She smiled when the other girl opened her eyes sleepily. "Hey." Paige whispered tenderly as she brushed a few strands of hair away from Emily's face, kissing her on the lips once again.

Emily rubbed the sleep from her eyes before getting up, bringing the sheet over her chest in an effort to cover herself. "Hey." She whispered back as she studied her girlfriend.

Paige moved to sit beside Emily on the bed and stared at her girlfriend for a moment, both of them studying the other closely, memorizing every detail as if for the last time. "I have to go." Paige said quietly.

Emily nodded, her heart hammering wildly. "Okay." She said, her voice barely above a whisper as she struggled not to breakdown.

"It's time." Paige said reluctantly, her body refusing to move from its position.

"I know." Emily said hoarsely.

When Paige finally willed her body to move, she stood up hastily, forcing herself to head for the bedroom door before she changed her mind.

"Come back to me." Emily said pleadingly, her voice breaking.

Paige turned around and quickly closed the distance between them, holding close the terrified girl sitting on the bed. "I will. I'll _always_ find you." She promised fiercely. "Whatever happens _I'll find you_." She said as she felt Emily's tears on her neck.

"I love you." Emily whispered in between sobs.

Paige gently wiped the tears from Emily's eyes and touched their foreheads together. "I love you too." She said ardently.

Kissing her girlfriend one last time, Paige forced herself to get out of the door, leaving behind the warmth and safety of Emily's house. She hurriedly made her way to her girlfriend's car and got in, forcing herself not to meet Emily's worried gaze from the bedroom window as she pulled out of the driveway and started to drive towards the direction of the marina. She knew she was running late and Tara was most probably pissed. She checked the time on the dashboard clock. _8:30pm_. Everything's still going according to plan.

* * *

_"Hey. What's wrong?" Emily asked worriedly when she noticed Paige sitting beside her on the bed. She checked the time on the clock on her bedside table. __**2:33am**__. She got up and touched Paige's arm gently. "Bad dream?" She asked softly._

_Paige shook her head, willing her pulse to stop racing. "No. Not really." She answered hoarsely as she felt Emily's hand take hers and squeezed it tightly._

_"Then why is your hand clammy?" Emily asked restlessly as she studied the girl beside her._

_Paige turned to face her girlfriend. "Maybe it's because of what you told me the other day after I picked you up at the Brew. But I think I remembered part of that day. When I went missing. I felt like I was swaying. Like I was in a moving vehicle but it wasn't bumpy or noisy. It was like a lulling feeling." She said, trying to make sense of things._

_"Like you were in a boat? Maybe you remembered waking up when the Kismet was burning." Emily said, trying to calm down Paige when she felt the other girl's pulse._

_"It didn't feel hot. It felt like I was floating." Paige said, confused._

_"You were pretty out of it that night Paige." Emily said gently. "Maybe it was the effect of the drugs in your system." She said as she began to stroke her girlfriend's head softly. "We'll figure it out." She whispered in the other girl's ear reassuringly._

_When Paige still seemed agitated, Emily turned to get something from the drawer of her bedside table, hoping seeing it would help the other girl relax. "I think it's time I gave this back to you." She said quietly as she placed in Paige's hand the box the other girl gave her on her birthday._

_"What's this?" Paige asked, momentarily forgetting her dream as she opened the box Emily handed to her._

_"The keys to the boat. You gave it to me remember? For safekeeping?" Emily reminded her girlfriend gently. "Now that you're back I think you should have it. I don't need it anymore. It already brought you back to me." She said, smiling softly._

_Paige furrowed her brows in confusion. "Yeah. I remember giving these to you. But I forgot these weren't mine. These were my dad's keys. I lost mine the night of the accident since it was in my house keys as well." She said slowly. Paige studied the keys she held in her hand for a second and a look of realization suddenly crossed her features._

_"What is it?" Emily asked when she saw the gleam of excitement and fear in Paige's eyes._

_Wordlessly, Paige held the girl close to her before whispering in her ear. "Kismet __**did**__ help me find the way back to you. No matter how long it took, I would've come back to you because you had it all along." She said in disbelief._

_"Had what all along?" Emily asked, baffled._

_"I think I know where the file is." Paige said breathlessly._

_Emily hugged her girlfriend tighter. "Where?" She asked hoarsely._

_"We need Hanna." Paige answered as her grip tightened on the keys she held in her hand._

_**88888**_

_"This is getting ridiculous." Paige declared stubbornly once Dani opened the door of Caleb's apartment._

_Dani closed the door behind Paige and steeled herself before turning around to face her best friend._

_"It's been a week and you still won't talk to me?" Paige asked incredulously. "I mean I get that you want to get over me. That I'm making things hard by trying to be friends with you. But how long are you going to avoid me?" She asked miserably._

_"What you think this is easy for me?" Dani asked, finally acknowledging Paige for the first time since they last talked at the park. "This is the only way I know for me to get over you."_

_"By staying away?" Paige asked, hurt._

_"Well if you have a better idea, then by all means tell me. Because I am all ears." Dani said desperately. "The last thing I want is to hurt you by pretending like we were never friends. But right now I have to think of me. I'm sorry if what I'm doing is hurting you. But unlike you, I don't have anyone to comfort me." She confessed brokenly. "I don't have an Emily I can come home to every night. I don't have someone to hold me when I lament the fact that I miss my best friend more than anything in the world but it sucks because I happened to be in love with her. And I have to get over her because otherwise I won't be able to become the kind of friend she needs."_

_"Dani, __**please**__. We can figure this out." Paige pleaded. "Let me take you to the hospital today instead of Caleb. Let's start there."_

_Dani shook her head adamantly. "You don't get it do you?" She asked, helpless. "When we broke up you still ended up having the person you love beside you and your best friend as well. Because they weren't one and the same. At least not yet. Unlike for me. So I ended up losing both." Dani said dejectedly. "I'm __**trying**__ to figure things out. Trying to understand what it means to be friends with you after what happened between us. And I thought it would be easy but it's harder than I thought. So I'm sorry if you're hurting because of it. But right now I have to stay away."_

_Paige stood for a moment and stared at her best friend in silence, knowing she couldn't do anything to change Dani's mind. Wordlessly, she walked past the other girl and headed for the door. She turned one last time to stare at her friend before leaving. "You were wrong." Paige whispered miserably. "When we broke up I didn't end up having both. Because just now you made me realize that I lost you the night you asked me to choose."_

_**88888**_

_"Hey. What's up?" Hanna asked curiously once she got inside Emily's car and closed the door. "I'm about to meet Spencer and Aria at the hospital."_

_"We need to talk so we'll drive you there." Emily said before pulling away from Hanna's house._

_A couple of minutes later, Paige turned around from the passenger seat to face the girl behind her. "We need your help with something." Paige began anxiously._

_"What is it?" Hanna asked, her gaze shifting from Emily to Paige._

_Paige wordlessly took out her father's keys to the boat and showed it to Hanna. "Notice something?" She asked quietly._

_Hanna took the keys and studied it closely for a second. "Yeah. This key…" She said, looking up at Paige in confusion._

_"I need you to take a look at it. See if it's there." Paige said urgently._

_"How am I supposed to get there without tipping off 'A'?" Hanna asked in disbelief._

_"We hate to ask but you already know who to ask for help. It won't be obvious." Emily said, stealing a glance at her friend from the rearview mirror._

_"Please?" Paige asked nervously._

_Hanna nodded. "Yeah. Of course. I'll get right on it as soon as I get home this afternoon." She said reassuringly._

_**88888**_

"Watch your step." Paige said as she held Emily's hand to help her disembark from the boat. Once she was sure that her girlfriend's feet were firmly planted on the dock, Paige disembarked and began to secure the Kismet, all the while willing her hands to stop shaking. _Keep it cool, Paige. It's not like what you're about to do is life changing. Not at all. Asking Emily Fields to marry you isn't life changing at all. __**Except it is**_. She thought as she fumbled with the rope she held in her hand.

Silently cursing herself, she stole a quick glance at her girlfriend and felt her cheeks turn beet red when she found Emily watching her in amusement. "What?" Paige asked, barely getting the word out. _What is wrong with you? She's your girlfriend. Talk like a normal person._

"Nothing." Emily said, her eyes twinkling in amusement. "You've been weird and jumpy since you picked me up at the Brew. Is everything okay?" She asked, a tinge of worry evident in her voice.

_Great. Now you made her worry. Good going_. Paige cleared her throat and checked her watch for the time. "Yeah. Everything's fine." She said, giving her girlfriend a reassuring smile. "I just can't seem to fasten this rope so I'm a little frustrated."

Emily moved to crouch beside Paige. "Why didn't you say something sooner? Here, let me help." She said as she reached for the rope.

"I got it." Paige said, snapping at Emily as she quickly moved the rope out of her girlfriend's reach. "I'm sorry." She said when she saw Emily's hurt look. "I didn't mean to snap at you." She said hurriedly. "It's okay. Really. I got this."

Emily shrugged and stood up, deciding to let Paige finish docking the boat on her own. She faced the open waters and watched as the sun set on the horizon. A few minutes later, the sound of an aircraft above made Emily look up and she broke into a grin.

"Paige come look! Someone's proposing!" Emily said excitedly, her eyes never leaving the skywriter as it began to spell the words _'Marry_.'

"Oh yeah? What's it say so far?" Paige asked as she carefully took out of the pocket of her vest the small box she'd been carrying around since their freshman year. Inconspicuously turning around from her crouched position, Paige faced the girl behind her whose eyes still stayed glued to the sky.

"Marry me." Emily answered as she waited for the name to be spelled out. "Come on hurry up, you're missing it!"

Paige willed her heart to stop beating so wildly and swallowed hard. "Here, hold this. I'm almost done." She said as she took Emily's hand and placed the open box on the girl's palm. Kneeling on one knee, she waited for Emily to look at her. She didn't need to look at the skywriter because she knew the name it would spell out.

Paige watched as the raven-haired beauty standing above her finally took her eyes off the sky once she saw her name written on it. Watched in breathless anticipation when Emily saw the box Paige placed on the palm of her hand. Watched as tears welled from her girlfriend's eyes but Paige knew they were tears of anything but sadness.

"Well?" Paige asked breathlessly. "Emily Fields, will you marry me?" She asked before standing up and taking the ring out of the box, poised to put it on the finger of the speechless beauty standing in front of her once she gave her answer.

"I have loved you for as long as I could remember. I've felt it even before I could describe it. You are the only thing I am certain of in my life. I know we're still young and we have a few years ahead of us before we graduate, and beyond that a future lying in wait for both of us. This is probably the _most_ selfish thing I have ever done when it comes to you. To ask that you be mine. But I can't wait to start forever with you. I can't imagine anyone else by my side every step of the way. Whatever happens, wherever life takes me, you, Emily Fields, are my _constant_. When all of my dreams come true, the one I want standing next to me is you and when everything falls apart I know that you're the one I want to come home to. You're the one who makes me try and makes me want to be better and I want to spend the rest of my life being all those things for you too. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want you to be selfish with me too. I want to belong to you. So Emily Fields, will you let me spend the rest of my life with you?" Paige asked humbly.

Emily felt the tears streaming down her cheeks before she realized she was crying. She felt her throat constrict but she managed to get the words out. "_Yes_ Paige McCullers. I'll marry you."

Emily laughed and cried at the same time as the other girl happily slipped the ring on her finger and eagerly met Paige's lips with hers. When the intensity of their kisses finally died down, Paige held Emily close to her. "I _promise_ I will make you the happiest girl in the world." Paige said reverently, barely able to contain the happiness she was feeling at that moment.

Emily looked at the ring on her finger and closed her eyes in blissful contentment. "I already am." She whispered, her breath catching in her throat as she began to envision their future together.

_**88888**_

"I thought I'd find you here." Paige said softly as she wrapped her arms around Emily's waist, careful not to upset the other girl's position as she sat on top of one of the wooden railings that lined the boardwalk.

Emily placed her hands on top of Paige's and nestled her head on the crook of the other girl's neck, amazed at the blissful feeling she felt at the mere contact of their bodies. "I needed a break." She admitted.

Paige took a deep breath and let her gaze wander to her boat where a party was in full swing. "I think half of those people have no idea why there's a party." She said wryly. "I don't even know who brought the booze and the deejay."

Emily laughed softly. "I think Hanna and Spencer are trying to do damage control right about now." She said lightly as she began to caress Paige's arms.

"Your friends continue to amaze me." Paige said teasingly. "They managed to throw an intimate gathering for us at the last minute and now it's a full-blown party."

"You're not mad though, are you?" Emily asked hesitantly.

"Of course not. I will gladly clean up their mess the next day because that would mean today really happened." Paige said happily as she felt the ring on Emily's finger.

"I don't think I'll ever forget today." Emily said as she gazed at the docks and remembered Paige's words. "I _really_ want to be selfish with you too." She said quietly and smiled when she felt Paige's warm lips on her neck. She turned her body to face Paige and was about to say something when her eyes fell on two couples walking side by side from a distance.

Paige followed Emily's gaze and met her fiancée's questioning eyes, flashing her a dazzling smile. Emily felt her knees go weak and her heart race a mile a minute when she saw Paige's smile.

"I forgot to tell you that I have one more surprise for you today." Paige said as she stared into Emily's eyes.

Emily turned her attention once again to the four people headed their way and broke into a huge grin when she recognized her parents and Paige's parents.

"I don't want this moment to be a secret from the people we love." Paige said sincerely. "I talked to them first." She admitted. "I asked for your hand yesterday and they gave us their blessing."

Emily felt her throat constrict with overwhelming happiness and love as she stared into the other girl's eyes. She felt her face flush when Paige reverently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you." Emily whispered hoarsely, unable to say just how much what Paige did meant to her.

"You're most welcome." Paige said, kissing Emily softly before helping her get off the wooden railing, intertwining their hands as they made their way to greet their parents.

_**88888**_

"I don't know. I think Emily McCullers has a nice ring to it." Emily said quietly, leaning her head back against Paige's chest as they slowly made their way to Emily's house.

Paige wrapped her arms tightly around her fiancée's waist and kissed Emily's head softly. "How about Paige Fields?" She asked lightly.

Emily shook her head. "Nah. Not so much." She answered, the laughter evident in her voice.

"Well how about Emily McFields?" When she felt Emily shake her head once again, she began spewing off names. "Paige McFields? Emily McCullers-Fields? Paige Fields-McCullers?" Paige asked as Emily continued to shake her head at each name, making Paige chuckle.

"We'll figure it out." Emily said playfully when Paige kissed her neck. She sighed in contentment before deciding on something. "I really like Emily McCullers though." She admitted softly, letting the name roll around her tongue.

"Yeah, me too." Paige agreed happily.

They continued to walk in blissful silence until Emily looked at the ring on her finger. "I can't wait to be married to you." She confessed ardently.

Paige stopped when she heard Emily utter those words and gently turned the other girl to face her. "You mean that?" She asked breathlessly, still unable to believe Emily wanted to spend forever with her.

"I said yes didn't I?" Emily said, breaking into a stunning smile that made Paige's heart hammer wildly.

Paige touched Emily's cheek reverently, uttering a silent prayer of gratitude. "Yes, you did." She said huskily before capturing Emily's lips on hers, wanting the other girl to feel the immensity of her love.

Somewhere in Rosewood, a bell tolled, ending the moment between them. Emily felt her face flush and took a moment to stop her pulse from racing as she stared into Paige's eyes and felt herself getting lost in it. "The clock just struck 12." She said breathlessly when she finally found her voice.

Paige kissed her one last time before resuming their walk towards Emily's house. She took her fiancée's hand in hers and intertwined them. "It's official." She said lightly. "I guess it's perfect timing that I proposed yesterday because as of today we are officially engaged." Paige stopped walking for a moment to face Emily. "Happy 3rd anniversary babe." She said happily.

Emily gave her fiancée a soft, lingering kiss. "It's perfect." She said, grinning widely. "Beginning our third year together engaged."

When they finally reached Emily's front porch, Emily turned around to face Paige, smiling at the girl mischievously. "You know what would be a perfect way to start this new phase in our relationship?" She asked playfully.

Paige fought the urge to grab Emily by the waist and kiss her senseless knowing she can't come inside. "I don't know. Sleeping in separate houses?" She said reluctantly.

"Why can't you stay over?" Emily asked, disappointed.

"I want to say goodbye to my folks before they leave for Scranton." Paige explained unenthusiastically.

"But you'll see them tonight though once they get back so…" Emily let the words hang in the air, knowing Paige understood the rest and she began to pull her fiancée inside the house.

Paige knew she was insane for resisting but she had to. "I can't babe." She said regretfully. When Emily began to resort to other methods to convince her to spend the night, she felt her resolve start to weaken. "You are **not** using those doe eyes of yours to get me to bed. I am repelling that." She said adamantly. "Oh now you're resorting to pouting. No way. I am **not** resilient." Paige stated despite feeling anything but.

Emily finally gave up. "Fine. Go home. But I better see you tonight." She said assertively.

Paige grinned at the raven-haired beauty standing in front of her. "Of course you will." She promised. "I have another surprise for you but you'll have to wait 'til our date tonight. I have a few things to take care of though but I'll pick you up at around 8." Paige said before closing the distance between them.

"What is it?" Emily asked, her skin tingling when Paige gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Like I said, it's a surprise." Paige whispered huskily. "But I promise you'll love it." She said before capturing Emily's lips on hers one last time.

Paige waited until Emily was safely inside, making sure she heard the lock on the doors click before she finally started to make her way back towards the dark, empty street. Starting to plan for their date that night, she was lost in her own thoughts, not paying any attention to her surroundings so she didn't hear the quick shuffle of feet behind her, didn't see the shadow emerge from somewhere beside her. The next thing she knew, a bag of cloth was violently pulled over her head. She struggled for a brief moment before she felt something hard hit her at the back of the head. Then everything went black.

_**88888**_

_"Paige! Paige! Wake up! Paige!" Emily's panicked voice jolted Paige awake from her nightmare and she quickly sat up from the bed. She glanced at the clock on Emily's bedside table. __**1:47am**__. Resting her head on her knees, she willed her pulse to stop racing wildly and tried to adjust to her surroundings. She didn't realize she was shaking so hard until she felt Emily gently pull her close. "Babe what's wrong? You were trashing in your sleep." Emily said worriedly._

_Paige wrapped her arms around Emily, terrified to let her go, afraid to close her eyes for fear that her nightmare will return. "I remember everything." She whispered hoarsely._

_**88888**_

_"Yeah?" Paige said into the phone after she answered it on the fifth ring while trying to stifle a yawn._

_She looked at Emily who was sitting beside her on the couch, trying to study but barely able to keep her eyes open. The nightmare Paige had last night kept them both up until the wee hours of the morning. She kept tossing and turning and Emily was so worried about her girlfriend having another nightmare that she barely slept, choosing to watch over Paige instead. Paige gently touched Emily's arm to wake her up._

_"It's me." Hanna's voice came from the other end of the line._

_"What's up?" Paige asked when she heard the urgency in the other girl's voice. When she saw Emily's questioning gaze, she silently said Hanna's name and held the phone near her girlfriend's ear so Emily can listen in on the conversation. "Em's here."_

_"Hey, Em." Hanna said, acknowledging her friend before continuing. "I just called to tell you that you were right." She said quickly. "It's there."_

_Paige let out a relieved sigh and returned Emily's eager smile. Her mind started to formulate a plan now that she knew where her dad kept the original file. "Thanks." She said gratefully._

_"No problem." Hanna said reassuringly. "I'll give you back the keys tomorrow."_

_"No. Hold on to it for now." Paige said hurriedly. "I need your help one last time." She said as she began to explain her plan to them._

_**88888**_

_Paige steeled herself as she stared at the phone she held in her hand. She had to make two calls and she dreaded both for different reasons. Taking a deep breath, she decided to make the first one and waited for the other person to pick up._

_"Hey, Tara. It's Paige." She said in greeting, trying to mask the anger she was feeling with eagerness instead. "I'm sorry if this was sudden. It's just that I wanted to surprise Emily tomorrow with an early morning sailing trip so I was wondering if your offer still stands?" Paige asked, adding a tinge of hesitance and timidity in her voice. "I mean if you don't want to it's fine. Really." She listened for a moment before speaking again. "Wow. That's so cool of you. So you don't mind? But I gotta ask if we can meet tonight though so you can show me around. It's been a while since I sailed and I want to familiarize myself with the layout of your boat." She paused as she listened to the other girl, fighting to control her rage. "So you don't mind if we meet tonight? Yeah. Around 8:30. I gotta make sure Emily's asleep first before I leave. She wasn't feeling well this afternoon so she'll probably turn in early tonight. Yeah. Okay. Sure. I'll see you there. Yes. I promise I won't be late."_

_Paige breathed a huge sigh of relief before lowering her phone, turning her attention to the encrypted phone she kept close. She listened for a while to make sure the shower was still running before taking the other phone in her hand. This wasn't part of the plan at all but in case things go south, she needed to know Emily won't be alone._

_"Hey." Paige said quietly when she heard the beep, signaling for her to start leaving her message. "It's me. I'm sorry for calling. I know I'm the last person you want to hear from right now. I know things will never be the same and I have no right to ask this of you, but I don't know anyone else other than Emily that I trust as much as you. Before anything else I just want you to know that the past two weeks have been hard for me too. And I know things are complicated between us. But right now, I need the girl I met when I was five. I need my best friend. You see, after tonight I don't know what will happen to me. If I'll survive. So in case anything happens to me, I know it's asking too much, but can you look after Emily? I know it's selfish and incredibly insensitive of me. And you don't know how sorry I am that I'm asking this of you. But you're still my best friend Dani. And you're the only person who knows how much I love her. You'll probably resent me for the words I just said but I want you to know that in case I don't make it, I'm worried about you too. And I want the two people I love most to be there for each other. Maybe when I'm gone you two will finally find a way to like each other, right? So yeah, I need to know if you can do this for me because you're the only person I'm willing to entrust Emily's life to, and she's the only person I would want to look after you when I'm gone."_

_Paige finally ended the call and looked up to see Emily standing by her bedroom door. "How long have you been standing there?" She asked quietly._

_"Long enough to know that call __**wasn't**__ part of the plan." Emily said, a hint of anger evident in her voice. "You're giving up already?" She asked, trying to fight back her tears._

_"I'm not giving up." Paige said as she slowly stood up from the windowseat to make her way towards her girlfriend._

_"You're entrusting me to Dani and you just said you want me to look after her. How is that not giving up?" Emily asked incredulously._

_"I am __**not**__ giving up, Em." Paige whispered hoarsely. "But I don't know what will happen tonight. And in case I don't make it..."_

_"And if __**I**__ don't make it?" Emily asked edgily._

_"Don't say that. I won't let that happen." Paige said firmly._

_"Then don't give up. I don't want you to give up." Emily said, her voice breaking as tears fell from her eyes. "I just got you back. I don't want you to give up. Please."_

_Paige hurriedly closed the distance between them and hungrily captured Emily's lips on hers, the desperation and fear she felt making her grip on Emily's waist tighten. She felt Emily pull her closer and let the other girl drag her towards the bed. Their nimble fingers worked to undress the other, the need to feel their bodies against each other magnified by the possibility that it could be for the last time. As Paige felt herself getting lost in Emily's kisses and felt her girlfriend's naked body press urgently against hers, she fought back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. She didn't want this to be the last time she held Emily in her arms. She didn't want to die._

* * *

Killing the car's engine, Paige glanced at the clock on the dashboard. _8:45pm_. _Made it in record time_. Steeling herself for what she was about to do, she let her eyes wander to the worn-out photo of her and Emily she placed earlier on the console. She thought for a moment before taking it, deciding to bring the photo with her. She needed Emily by her side. Glancing at the clock once again, she hurriedly took out the encrypted phone and made a call.

"I'm here." Paige said immediately when the person on the other end of the line picked up. "I'm about to meet her. You got the file? Okay. Give me 20 minutes then bring it to me. You know what to do next."

Paige abruptly ended the call and looked around the car to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. Opening the glove compartment, she placed the phone inside and took out a small object before closing it. Slipping the photo in one of her jacket pockets, she glanced at the dashboard clock once again. _8:51pm_. _Perfect_. _Tara is most __**definitely**__ pissed_. Paige thought as she got out of the car, locked the doors and hurriedly made her way towards the docks.

* * *

_"I'm glad you guys are here actually." Emily said to her friends before she stood up to leave Caleb's apartment with Paige._

_Aria looked up at Emily in concern. "What's going on?" She asked._

_"I was talking to Tara… I meant Nathalie… earlier this morning at the Brew and she said something that got me thinking." Emily said anxiously. "I don't think she meant anything by it but nevertheless she gave me a lead I thought we could pursue."_

_Emily looked at Paige who was the only other person standing in the room aside from her and saw her girlfriend give her an imperceptible nod, willing for her to go on. She took a deep breath before continuing._

_"We were so focused on everything that happened after the accident. I think they were too. So they didn't pay close attention to Paige's condition __**before**__ the accident. Or at least they forgot to." Emily said as she recalled the state Paige was in when they found her. "She was missing the entire day. I don't know how these people really think but a whole day is an awfully long time to keep someone captive and conscious. Especially if the reason they took her early that morning was to make sure she was out of the way while they did whatever they needed to do."_

_"Meaning what?" Spencer asked, confused._

_"Meaning I think they had to keep her sedated the entire day." Emily said, starting to explain her hunch. "When we found her Paige was unconscious. Her skin was cold to the touch and I could barely feel her pulse. She woke up moments before we crashed and I didn't remember until today. When Nathalie made a comment earlier about me being so happy to see Paige it's like I was on drugs."_

_"So what do you need us for?" Hanna asked._

_"I need you guys to take a look at Paige's medical record the night we were admitted." Emily said anxiously. "Especially the blood work they did on her."_

_"You think it's going to show up there?" Caleb asked, uncertain._

_Emily turned her attention to him. "I don't know. But I think it's worth a try." She said hesitantly. "It can't hurt to take a look at it especially if they haven't gotten their hands on it yet." She turned to face her friends once again. "I can't be seen anywhere near the records room. They would know something's up. That's why I need you three to take turns going in there."_

_Aria looked from Paige to Emily and nodded her head. "Yeah. Sure. We can take a look at it. But not until next week. We don't have any shifts left this week." She said apologetically._

_"That's fine." Paige said, giving Emily's friends a grateful smile. "It's better if you don't stray from your normal routines. But are you certain you guys can get into the records section without your actions being seen as suspicious?"_

_Spencer nodded. "Yeah. We go in and out of that room on our shifts. They won't suspect anything." She said confidently._

_"We can schedule Dani's appointment with the doctor the same day you guys decide to search for Paige's medical file." Caleb offered. "I'm sure Dani's condition is of more interest to them seeing as they don't know she got her memories back."_

_Paige looked at Dani in surprise. "You got your memories back? When?" She asked, trying to hide the hurt she felt that her best friend didn't bother to tell her._

_"Earlier today." Dani said, still not bothering to look at Paige. "It's not a big deal." She said dismissively._

_"Not a big deal? Do you know how __**worried**__ I am?!" Paige asked incredulously. When Dani didn't even acknowledge her concern, she felt her throat constrict. "You won't even look at me?" Paige asked quietly, unable to hide the hurt she was feeling._

_"Right now isn't about us Paige. Please don't make the others uncomfortable." Dani said quietly before getting up and heading for her room._

_Paige looked around her and saw that Dani was right. "I'm sorry." She said hoarsely, feeling her face flush with embarrassment._

_Caleb cleared his throat. "So next week. I'll take Dani to the hospital and you guys do your thing." He said to Hanna, Aria and Spencer, trying to return to the topic at hand._

_"We'll let you know as soon as we find out something." Aria promised the two girls who were about to leave._

_"Thanks." Emily said as she walked towards the front door, taking Paige by the hand. "We really appreciate it."_

_**88888**_

_"Run it by me again." Spencer said, the frustration evident in her voice as she and Dani sat on the latter's bed._

_"Uh, King of Hearts and Desiderata." Dani said, closing her eyes, exhausted by the day's events._

_Dani and Spencer have been at it since the others left earlier that night. Spencer wasn't really planning on staying over but after getting a call from Jason asking if he could stay with Spencer for a while, she realized she couldn't face her brother right now. Because aside from the hurt she felt when she found out about his involvement, she had to admit that it terrified her to be alone with her brother. She had no choice but to let him live with her. Saying no could make her brother suspicious. But she needed to feel safe even if it was just for one night. Dani offered to let Spencer sleep beside her on the condition that the other girl will help her figure out the connection of the codenames to Jason, CeCe and Tara._

_"I'm drawing a blank." Spencer admitted after a beat._

_Dani sighed and opened her eyes once again. "We __**have**__ to relate those names to any of them. Come on. Think." She ordered the girl sitting beside her on the bed._

_"Well I have no idea why King of Hearts could be related to Jason and I'm not even sure if Desiderata pertains to the poem, the name of a person or a main belt asteroid." Spencer said helplessly._

_"Well let's just assume that Desiderata is the name of a person. What can you tell me about her?" Dani asked, falling back on her bed and staring at the ceiling._

_Exhausted, Spencer followed suit and laid down next to Dani. "Uh, the only Desiderata I know in history is Desiderata of the Lombards. She was one of the four daughters of Desiderius and Ansa. She was married to Charlemagne in 770. The marriage was annulled in 771. She had no known children and her ultimate fate is unknown." Spencer said, trying to recall what she learned about French history._

_"Yeah I have no idea if what you just said described CeCe or Tara." Dani said as she turned her head to look at Spencer. "But Jason said his girlfriend's name is Lucy, right? And I mean, of the two, Lucy is short for Lucille. So it's probably CeCe."_

_Spencer stared at the ceiling and furrowed her brows in concentration. "Yeah but why choose that name? How is it related to... oh." She said, suddenly sitting up straight._

_"What?" Dani asked, following the other girl with her eyes, too exhausted to get up._

_"Ali __**is**__ clever." Spencer said breathlessly._

_"Why?" Dani asked, her eyes returning to the ceiling._

_"King of Hearts __**is**__ Charlemagne." Spencer revealed excitedly._

_"Huh?" Spencer's explanation made Dani's head start to hurt and she closed her eyes to try and forget the pain. "All I understood is that Desiderata was married to Charlemagne." She said, groaning._

_"I know. But listen. There was a period in France when the kings of playing cards were named after their kings. Guess who the King of Hearts is?" Spencer asked, her eyes traveling to the girl lying on the bed._

_"I don't know. Charlemagne?" Dani said under her breath._

_"Yeah. Otherwise known as Charles the Great. But also commonly called as __**Charles I**__." Spencer corrected matter-of-factly._

_"As in the name of Jason's boat." Dani said, finally finding the strength to open her eyes and stare at Spencer._

_"We need to find that notebook." Spencer said urgently._

_**88888**_

_"So Emily was right." Aria said anxiously on the phone as she talked to Emily and Paige on the other end of the line. "The night you were admitted they did a blood work on you. It rarely happens but the drug in your system caused you to flatline several times."_

_"What do you mean?" Paige asked, confused._

_"The epinephrine they injected you with the second time you flatlined reacted to the drug that was already in your system." Aria clarified as she studied the report she held in her hand. "That's why you crashed again."_

_"The drug they used to sedate me. What was it?" Paige asked breathlessly._

_Aria gave the phone to Spencer so her friend could explain what she found earlier. She then leaned over to take a look at Spencer's laptop screen._

_"Hey, Paige. It's Spencer. Yeah. About that drug. It's illegal here in the States but in some countries it's still being sold. It's a drug called __**Methaqualone**__ and it's still being marketed in South Africa. If we can find a way to connect any of them to this drug maybe we can use this as evidence." Spencer said anxiously. She was about to say something else when she felt Aria tug her arm urgently. "Hold on a sec. Aria's got something." She said into the phone before turning to look at her friend. "What?"_

_"South Africa." Aria said breathlessly._

_"Yeah. What about it?" Spencer asked, confused._

_"In Jason's file, when he was in college." Aria said as she grabbed Spencer's laptop and checked if the micro disc containing the information about Ali's family was in the disc drive. When she saw that it was, she hurriedly searched for the file she was talking about._

_"Again, what about it?" Spencer asked as she watched her friend intently, handing the phone to her when Aria asked for it._

_"In his file, it says here Jason took a Pharmacology course for one semester but he roomed with a South African student for 2 years." Aria said into the phone as she turned the laptop to face Spencer._

_"What's the name of his roommate?" Emily asked urgently._

_"Henrik Thiel." Aria answered quickly, the name committed to memory._

_"Can we talk to this guy? Ask him if he gave or sold Jason those drugs? Or if he knows someone who could have given it to Jason?" Emily asked._

_"I think Spencer knows him. We'll call you guys right back." Aria said when she saw the look on her friend's face. "How __**do**__ you know this guy?" She asked Spencer anxiously after she ended the call._

_"I crossed paths with him a few times in UPenn. He's getting his Master's Degree." Spencer admitted. "Jason got those drugs from him. I'm sure of it." She said quietly. "Henrik asked me to try one when I attended one of his parties. He called them __**lemmons**__. But Jason told me to steer clear from him. Back then I thought he was just being a concerned brother. But now I think it's because he's covering his tracks."_

_"How do you consume it?" Aria asked worriedly._

_"There are a variety of ways. I think the ones he was selling were meant to be ingested or inhaled. I'm not sure if he sold ones which can be injected." Spencer revealed anxiously._

_"Is there any way we can find out?" Aria asked._

_"Yeah. I could buy from him." Spencer said as she met her friend's eyes._

_"I meant a __**safer**__ way." Aria said, not willing to get her friend in trouble._

_"It's the __**only**__ way." Spencer said reluctantly. "Don't worry, I have an idea."_

_**88888**_

_Dani sat on her bed as she listened over and over to the voicemail Paige left her a few hours ago, debating whether to call her best friend. It's been a week since Paige walked out on her after making her realize that what happened between them hasn't been easy for Paige either. That though brief, Paige __**did**__ consider their romantic relationship as something that was serious. Made her realize that she wasn't the only one who lost a friend the night Paige chose to get back together with Emily. It's only been a week. And she still needed more time to figure things out. But the problem is, tonight if something goes wrong she might get all the time in the world but it would have been too late. So tonight she has to take a small step. Taking a deep breath, she dialed the number and was relieved to hear it go to voicemail. She didn't have the courage to talk to Paige yet._

_"Hey. I got your message. I can't say much since it's almost time. I admit it's been a weird couple of weeks between us. Not to mention hard. And I know how dangerous it is. What you're about to do. So in case everything falls apart, I hope you get this message before you do something stupid like give up. You didn't lose me Paige. You never will. I just needed time to get used to just being a friend again. So you can't give up. Because we still need to figure things out and I can't do that if you're gone. But if you did everything you could and it wasn't enough, then okay I'll do what I can to look after Emily. But you have to promise that you won't give up so easily because you have to return to her. You're her life and she will stop living if you don't come back to her. I will never be enough. So please come back. To her __**and**__ to me. Because we're not done trying to be friends again."_

_Dani took a deep breath and finally ended the call just as she heard a knock on her bedroom door. "Hey." Spencer said as she poked her head inside Dani's room. "You ready to go? Hanna and Aria are waiting downstairs."_

_Dani looked at the time on her bedside table. __**8:30pm**__. "Let's do this." She said determinedly._

* * *

"I'm surprised they haven't run us off the road yet." Hanna said edgily as she stole a quick glance at the rearview mirror before focusing her attention on the road ahead of them once again.

"Just focus." Aria said from the passenger seat of the car as her grip tightened on the file on her lap.

"How much farther?" Spencer asked from behind Hanna as she fought the urge to turn around and look at the car following them several vehicles behind.

Hanna glanced at the GPS. "We're almost there." She said anxiously. "What happens if they don't turn around?"

"Then we have no choice but to blend in with the crowd." Dani said nervously from beside Spencer.

"I have _no_ desire of attending a rave thrown by Henrik." Spencer said, suddenly feeling queasy.

"Well we might not have a choice Spence." Aria said, turning to face her friend. "If they don't turn around and head back to Rosewood we might have to attend that rave."

"We need a sample of the drug anyway." Hanna said, trying to put a positive spin into things. "If they don't turn around let's just go to Plan B."

"That is one plan I don't look forward to executing." Dani admitted. "I've never dealt with a drug dealer before."

"Don't worry. I've got it covered." Spencer said reassuringly as she looked at Dani. "I just hope he won't ask us to sample the merchandise before leaving. That's what I'm worried about." She said tensely.

Hanna looked at Spencer from the rearview mirror. "You got Jason to believe that you're spiraling out of control because of your breakup with Trent. But will Henrik buy your act?" She asked anxiously.

"Yeah. I've called him incessantly for the past two weeks. He thinks I'm desperate." Spencer said reassuringly. "He knows I'm Jason's Straight "A" younger sister so nothing would please him more than to see me let loose."

"Well let's just hope it doesn't come to that." Dani said quietly. "I'd rather the cops handle him than us."

"Me too. So let's hope they turn around in the next 15 minutes." Aria said as she checked the clock on the dashboard. _9:00pm_.

* * *

_Working himself into a sweat, Jason continued to run up and down the bleachers of the track and field stadium, knowing any minute now he was about to start a wild goose chase. Setting his pace, he reached the bottom of the stands and turned around to make his way to the top again. "Jason." Nick McCullers' agitated voice rose above the sound of the rain surrounding them, making Jason stop midway to the top. __**Right on time**__._

_Turning around, he carefully bounded the steps, making his way down to face the worried man. "Nick." He said in greeting, adding a tinge of raggedness in his breathing. "What brings you here?"_

_"Have you seen our daughter?" Nick asked urgently as he strained his neck to check the tracks._

_Jason furrowed his brows in confusion. "Paige? No. Not since last night at the engagement party. Why?" He asked, gesturing for the man to follow him as he found shelter underneath the bleachers, stopping when he reached the spot where he placed his duffel bag. Grabbing a towel, he faced Nick as he began to dry himself._

_"We just got back from Scranton and we found a note saying she went here for a run. We don't know what time she left though. We just want to make sure she's really here. We need to find her. It's urgent." Nick explained, checking his watch for the time._

_"Have you tried calling her?" Jason offered, studying the other man closely._

_Nick nodded his head, distracted. "She's not answering."_

_"Well I haven't seen her here. If you're worried something happened to her maybe you should call the cops. Tell them she's missing." Jason suggested._

_"That won't be necessary. I'm sure she's fine." Nick said, starting to back away._

_"Are you sure? Because I can call them for you. I've got them on my speed dial since Ali's murder." Jason insisted as he rummaged his things for his phone, turning to face the worried father once he found it._

_"No. We don't want to trouble you." Nick said as he looked towards the direction of his wife who was standing at a distance, wringing her hands worriedly while she held an umbrella over her head._

_"It's no trouble really. I'm dialing as we speak." Jason said as he pressed the speed dial._

_"I said no. Please. We've got this under control." Nick said firmly, a hint of urgency in his voice._

_Jason shrugged, ending the call. "Suit yourself. Try looking for her at her campus or at the town square. Maybe someone saw her there." He said, leading them to the next breadcrumb._

_"Thanks. We'll try her campus next." Nick said as he made his way towards his wife, not bothering that the rain was drenching him._

_Jason watched until they were out of sight before dialing a number. "They're headed to her campus then they're coming your way. I'm going back to the marina. I'll meet you at the McCullers' after." He said quickly before ending the call, grabbing his things and heading for the other exit._

_**88888**_

_CeCe hurriedly made her way towards the direction of her boutique, a cup of coffee in one hand and an umbrella on the other. Any minute now she would be standing face to face with her expected guests. Standing in front of her shop, she made a point of trying to get her key from her bag while holding the umbrella and coffee in one hand._

_"CeCe." Nick McCullers' urgent voice behind her made CeCe smirk. __**Right on cue**__. She pointedly ignored the man and continued to fumble with her key. Dropping it on the ground, she was about to bend over and pick it up when Nick hurriedly scooped it from the wet pavement, slipping the key into the lock and opening the door for her._

_Turning around, she gave him a grateful smile, closing her umbrella before going inside, knowing they were right behind her. "Mr. and Mrs. McCullers. What a surprise." She said as she put the coffee on the counter and faced them. "I just closed shop an hour ago but I forgot something so I came back. What brings you two here?"_

_"We didn't mean to come at such a late hour. But we're glad we caught you. That's Paige's bike outside. Have you seen her?" Nick asked urgently, holding his wife as she tried to control her sobs._

_CeCe went to the front door to take a close look at what Nick was pointing at, hiding her smile when she saw that the bike they took earlier did its job. "Not since yesterday when she went to my store to buy a scarf for Emily. Why?" She asked, facing them once again with a look of concern._

_"She's not answering her phone and we've been looking everywhere for her." Nick said, agitated._

_"Oh no. I hope nothing bad happened to her. Did you call the cops? I can help you file a missing persons report on her." CeCe offered, making her way towards the back room._

_"No. I don't think we need to do that. She's still probably with Emily." Nick said as he led his wife towards the exit, prepared to go to Emily's house next._

_"But just to be sure, I'll go make a call now." CeCe said hurriedly, knowing Emily wasn't part of the plan._

_"No. Please. Don't do that. It's not necessary." Nick said pleadingly as he turned his attention to the street, trying to think of a place to look next._

_CeCe shrugged. "Okay. Suit yourself. But I think you should try going to..."_

_"Emily!" Nick yelled, the relief evident in his voice as he rushed out of the store, his wife right behind him._

_CeCe hurriedly made her way to the front of the store to look where Nick and his wife went, a feeling of dread washing over her when she saw them talking to Emily. Quickly taking her phone out of her pocket, she dialed a number. "It's me. Meet me at the McCullers' now. We're running out of time." She said before ending the call and hastily locking the door behind her, not bothering that she was instantly drenched from head to foot as she ran towards the direction of the McCullers' house._

_**88888**_

_"What took you so long?!" CeCe asked impatiently as she emerged from the shadows once she saw Jason arrive._

_"Sorry. Moving Paige's body to the Kismet took longer than necessary. Thea and I needed to work together to transfer her." Jason said apologetically as he surveyed the dark house in front of them. "Your sister is one twisted girl Luce. You trained her too well." He said, remembering the feel of Paige's limp and cold body in his arms._

_CeCe smiled, the pride evident in her features. "Like I said, she's my masterpiece."_

_"Did you see where they kept the file?" Jason asked, eager to get things over with._

_"Yeah. Come on. Let's get inside before someone sees us." CeCe said as she took Jason's hand in hers and led the way to the back door of the McCullers' residence. "Make sure not to leave any mud or prints." She said warningly before opening the door._

_Once inside, she led Jason to the floor safe she saw Nick McCullers open earlier. "Get cracking." She ordered as she gestured to the lock, stepping aside to let Jason handle the situation._

_Jason was able to crack the first number when CeCe felt her phone vibrate. Taking her eyes off her boyfriend, she took it out of her pocket and answered the call, not bothering to check who the caller was. "Bonjour." She said in greeting._

_"You didn't take care of the fiancée." Tara's voice came on the line, the sound of rain barely masking the irritation in her sister's voice._

_"What?" CeCe whispered in disbelief._

_"They got here too early." Tara explained._

_"They're at the marina already? How did they figure it out?" CeCe asked before cursing herself inwardly when she remembered seeing the McCullers and Emily earlier. She should've known._

_"Emily Fields. She's with them." Tara said, confirming CeCe's suspicion._

_"Well we need time to crack the safe. So far Jason's only got the first number." CeCe said, starting to get flustered._

_"Don't worry. I've got everything under control. After I'm done with them you can crack that safe all night long." Tara said reassuringly. "Just make sure you clean up after you leave. No clues left behind." She said firmly._

_"You have a plan?" CeCe asked, relieved._

_"I __**always**__ have a plan grand soeur." Tara said ominously before ending the call._

_**88888**_

_"Spencer!" Jason yelled in warning when he noticed the oncoming car that was about to hit his sister who was crossing the street without looking._

_Spencer stopped and turned to see who called out to her. When she saw that it was Jason, she waited until he was standing next to her._

_"What's going on? You almost got hit by that car." Jason said worriedly. He studied his sister closely, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. "Is this about the guy you were seeing?" He asked uncertainly. When Spencer didn't say anything, he pulled her to the side. "This isn't like you."_

_Spencer yanked her arm off her brother's grip and stared at him for a moment. "How am I supposed to feel? He lied to me." She said, the pain evident in her voice._

_"You have to bounce back." Jason said firmly. "You're missing your classes, you're out late going to bars and if you don't go out you spend the day in your room wallowing. You're spiraling out of control."_

_"Have you been following me?!" Spencer asked incredulously. "When I agreed to let you live with me I don't recall saying you could tell me how to live my life."_

_"I'm just worried about you. You need to get your act together. You could lose your scholarship if you don't." Jason said quietly._

_"You think I care about that? I only care about feeling better Jason. I want to forget everything and just feel better. So unless you can point me to the right direction, back off." Spencer said angrily before walking past her brother._

_**88888**_

_"You think I wouldn't find out?" Jason said quietly as he stood just outside of Spencer's bedroom door. "Henrik's my friend."_

_Spencer looked up from the book she was reading and met her brother's warning glare. Closing the book, she moved towards the edge of her bed, trying to explain her actions. "I remembered he had a way to make me feel better." She said, her voice barely above a whisper._

_"I told you to stay away from him. He's bad news." Jason said, his eyes wandering to the folder lying on top of Spencer's dresser beside the door. "What's this really about?" He asked warily when he saw Paige's name on it._

_"What do you mean?" Spencer asked, confused. "I am not planning on hooking up with Henrik tonight. I just need something to make me forget even if it's just for a while." She said, standing up to start getting ready._

_Jason's eyes fell on the clock on top of Spencer's dresser. __**8:15pm**__. "Where are you headed?" He asked nonchalantly._

_"To a party Henrik is throwing." Spencer said, facing her brother. "I won't hook up with him. I promise. He's not my type."_

_"I'm not worried about that." Jason said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You're going alone?"_

_Spencer shook her head. "No. I'm taking Hanna, Aria and Dani with me. Hanna's driving so she's picking me up in a few minutes before we swing by Caleb's to pick up Dani." She said as she checked her reflection on her full-length mirror._

_Jason fought the urge to grab Paige's medical file and instead met Spencer's gaze from the mirror. "If you insist on attending this party tonight to get your hands on what he's selling I'll call Henrik and ask that he give you a discount since it's your first time." He said, changing his tactic and going into offense._

_Spencer raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "That was fast. A minute ago you were insisting I stay away from him. Now you want him to give me a discount? What changed your mind?" Spencer asked, intrigued._

_"You're a big girl. You know what you're getting into. What you're dragging your friends into." Jason said as he moved to leave his sister alone. "Don't say I didn't warn you though." He said, trying to keep the menacing tone out of his voice as he turned his back to her and made his way to his room._

_Locking the door behind him, he took out his phone and dialed a number. "We've got a problem." He said urgently._

* * *

"Why don't we just run them off the road?" CeCe asked impatiently as she fought the urge to grab the wheel from Jason and ram the SUV they've been following for the past 20 minutes. "I don't have time for this."

"We can't just run them off the road, Luce. We need to know what they plan on doing once they get to Henrik's party." Jason argued, not willing to increase the body count. "For all we know they're just going there to have fun. We're still not sure if they found the connection between the drugs and Henrik."

"I say it doesn't matter. Just get rid of them." CeCe said indifferently. "You said you saw Pigskin's file lying out in the open. I think it's pretty obvious they found the connection."

"No. It isn't. Because I wasn't able to look at the file." Jason said, standing his ground. "I will not be involved in their demise until I am _absolutely_ sure I did it for self-preservation. I will not kill four people because of a hunch." He said firmly.

"We wouldn't be in this mess if not for your carelessness." CeCe said, irritated.

"How is this my fault?!" Jason asked incredulously, taking his eyes off the road for a brief second. "Thea was the one who kept injecting Paige with all those drugs. We needed to keep her sedated. Not bring her to the brink of an overdose. When I got back to the boat Paige was barely alive, Luce. Your sister was having too much fun while we were out setting the plan into motion and that's why I think it was still in her system when Thea caused the crash."

"Stop blaming Thea." CeCe said warningly. "You should've thought of a better way to sedate Pigskin."

"Can we just focus on them?" Jason asked, starting to lose his patience. "Playing the blame game isn't really helping matters right now."

CeCe rolled her eyes and looked at the time on the dashboard clock. _8:51pm_. She took out her phone and decided to check on her sister.

* * *

Tara was jolted out of her reverie when she felt her phone vibrate. Quickly checking the time, she realized she still had to wait for Paige for at least 9 minutes. Taking the phone out of her pocket, she looked at the screen and quickly answered the call.

"Yeah?" She asked as she looked around to see if Paige was anywhere near her.

"Where are you?" CeCe's anxious voice came on the other end of the line.

"Down at the marina." Tara answered casually. "Why?"

"Why are you there?" CeCe asked, confused.

"I'm meeting Paige. At least I was supposed to. She's running late. If she's not here by 9 I am out of here." Tara said, the irritation seeping out of her voice. "Why do you ask?"

"Why are you meeting Pigskin?" CeCe asked, not bothering to answer Tara's questions.

"I promised to let them borrow the boat two weeks ago." Tara explained impatiently. "I thought if I played nice they'll be more at ease around me. Since we don't seem to make any progress despite what your worthless boyfriend promised, I thought I'd find a way in again. Paige called earlier today and asked if I could meet her tonight to show her around. She hasn't sailed for quite some time thanks to yours truly and she wanted to take Emily out sailing tomorrow morning."

"So why is she late?" CeCe asked, confused.

"Apparently Emily's sick. She's probably running late trying to put her to bed or something. But like I said, I am not one to wait for long. If she isn't here by 9 I am out of here." Tara said, checking her watch for the time again. _3 more minutes_. "Are you on the road or something?" She asked when she hard the sound of a truck on the background.

"Yeah. Jason and I are going on a last minute trip with the others." CeCe said, the anger evident in her voice.

"Uh-oh. What did your pesky boyfriend do now?" Tara asked when she heard the restrained anger in her sister's voice.

"Maybe left a trail of breadcrumbs for the others to follow." CeCe replied. "I'll explain everything later. I just wanted to check up on you."

"I'm fine Luce. I got things under control here. Emily's out sick and Paige is walking towards me as we speak." She said as she finally saw the girl approach her, half running, half jogging. "I gotta go. Tell me everything later." She said hastily before ending the call.

"I am so, _so_ sorry." Paige said apologetically as she checked the time on her watch. "I had a hard time putting Emily to bed so I left a little later than I planned to."

Tara fought the urge to lash out at the girl and instead gave her a dismissive smile. "It's cool. I figured that was your reason for being late. Good thing I had nothing planned for the rest of the night."

Paige managed to give the girl a relieved smile, forcing her body not to do anything out of character. "I didn't think you'd wait actually. When you said 8:30 sharp I knew you were someone who liked doing things on time. So thank you. You don't know how much meeting you tonight meant to me." She said as she began to follow Tara towards the direction of her boat. "What's the name of your boat anyway?"

"It's in French so I doubt you'll understand it." Tara said nonchalantly as she led the way towards the boat. "But in English it means _The Temptress_."

Willing herself to control her rage better if she wanted things to go her way, Paige let Tara's comment roll off her and instead stepped beside the girl and smiled. "Yeah other than _bonjour_ and _merci_ I don't know any French words so thanks for clarifying that for me." She said lightly. "Why'd you name it in French anyway? You from there or something?"

Tara shook her head. "No. I just like the way it sounded. It sounds more sophisticated than saying _The Temptress_. _La Tentatrice_ has a better ring to it don't you think?" Tara asked as she turned her attention to Paige while gesturing behind her.

Paige looked past Tara to stare at the boat in front of her. "Well she's a beauty." Paige admitted.

"I thought you'd say that. That's the way I described her to Emily when I bumped into your girlfriend again after our first meeting at the rental shop." Tara said, trying to get a rise out of Paige. "But of course this boat's nothing compared to Emily's beauty. I remember that day so well. She was _so_ breathtaking. The way the wind blew her hair while she stood looking out into the open waters. I really wanted to kiss her that day." Tara admitted sheepishly.

Paige managed to give the girl a small smile. She knew Tara was trying to get a rise out of her and an unnatural reaction to what she said will give her away. She decided the right reaction to the words the other girl said and opened her mouth to speak. "Uh, Tara, I know we're trying to be friends here and everything but it would help a lot if you don't tell me how much you've wanted to get together with my girlfriend while I was away." She said, adding a tinge of discomfort in her voice.

"Right. Of course. I'm sorry." Tara said, studying Paige carefully. "So I'm guessing you're willing to try and be friends with me?" She asked hesitantly.

Paige nodded slowly. "Emily asked me to try. She said you did a good thing for her when I was away and for that I am willing to try. I mean you can't be all that bad if you were able to help her feel better about herself right?" She said as she watched Tara board the boat.

"Right." Tara said as she faced Paige to help her board the boat next. "I promise you won't regret being friends with me." She said once she and Paige were standing face to face. "So, let me show you around then." Tara said before turning her back to Paige.

Paige took a few steps before she was suddenly hit with a feeling of dread. She'd been here before. She can't tell why but she had this sinking feeling that she'd been inside this boat before.

"Are you coming?" Tara asked, turning to look at Paige when she noticed the other girl wasn't following her.

"Yeah." Paige said, turning her attention back to Tara. "I guess it's been a long time since I've been on a boat. I'm still trying to get used to it." She said as she began walking towards Tara.

"Well don't sweat it too much. I'm sure after the tour tonight you'll remember the feeling." Tara said as she started to make her way forward to the bow.

Paige forced herself to keep moving even when she was hit with the sudden realization that for months they've been staring at the place where Paige was the entire day she was missing. That's why there was so much activity that day surrounding this boat. This was where they kept her after they abducted her.

* * *

"And the last part of the tour. The bed." Tara said as she went below deck to show Paige where she and Emily can sleep. "Don't worry. It's big enough to fit two." She said, turning around to face the other girl.

Paige stepped forward and gave Tara a grateful smile. "Your boat is _amazing_. Mine doesn't even compare. I'm glad I changed my mind and decided to take you up on your offer." She said as she moved closer to Tara.

"Thanks for the compliment." Tara said, giving Paige a toothy grin. "I'm sure you'll find the bed comfortable." She said, turning to face it. She was surprised to feel Paige's arm around her shoulder but forced herself to hide her disgust.

"I know I will." Paige said lightly. "But it's too early for bed. At least for me." She said as she began to tighten her arm around Tara. "I meant it when I said meeting you tonight was important for me." She whispered in the other girl's ear, not bothering to hide the rage she was feeling as she finally caught Tara in a chokehold, her actions unexpected that Tara's guard was down. Paige refused to relax her grip until she felt the other girl go limp.

Working fast, she made sure Tara was indeed out cold before taking the other girl's phone and going above deck, her eyes scanning everywhere until it settled on the folder that was lying on top of one of the seat cushions. _Right on time_. She took a quick look below deck, smiled and made the call on Tara's phone. _9:12pm_. _Barely made it_.

Paige steeled herself when she heard the voice on the other end of the line. "Do you know who this is?" She said in greeting.

"Pigskin." CeCe said, the disdain evident in her voice.

"Hello Lucille. Or is it _Lucy_?" Paige said, not bothering to hide the fact that she knows the truth. She needed them to get mad at her.

"What do you want?" CeCe asked impatiently.

"To continue the game you started two years ago." Paige said ominously. "I've got the file _and_ since I'm using Nathalie's phone to call you, I guess you know I've got your sister too. Find me before I get to the cops." She said before ending the call.

Heart pounding, she made her way to the bow and started the engine. She took one final look at the marina before facing the open waters, her face set as she headed for the sea.

* * *

Mind racing, CeCe stared at the phone she held in her hand and felt her blood boil in anger. In a span of 45 minutes everything managed to fall apart. She can't let that happen.

"She's got Thea." CeCe said, the anger seeping in her voice as she turned to look at Jason, fighting the urge to lash out at him for putting them in this position. She still needed him to get her sister back.

Jason looked at CeCe in concern, unaware of the rage his girlfriend was feeling towards him. "Are you sure? Maybe it's just a ploy to get us off their trail." He said as he gestured to the SUV a few vehicles ahead of them.

"She called me Lucille. She knows Thea's my sister. She's got the file. And she wants me to find them before she gets to the cops." CeCe rattled off, trying to get Jason to understand what she was getting at. "Does that sound like she's trying to get us off their trail? They were decoys! What you saw was merely an empty folder and you were stupid enough to fall for it not to mention drag me into it!" She said, exploding in anger. "She's my sister. Turn around." She ordered menacingly.

"What?" Jason asked hesitantly, extremely aware of CeCe's rage but still unconvinced to head back to Rosewood.

CeCe stared at Jason ominously. "I am not saying it again. _Turn around_. We're getting Thea and the file back." She said determinedly.

"How?" Jason asked as he finally listened to his girlfriend and turned around. "We don't even know where they are."

CeCe looked at the time on the dashboard clock. _9:14pm_. "I do. They're at the marina. But we need to tip the scales to our favor so drive faster. We need to make a quick stop."

* * *

_Emily gently touched the wooden post in front of her as she studied the lines she etched on it for the past two years, its worn-out surface the only witness to the number of days she waited for Paige to return to her. Taking a deep breath, she smiled softly when she felt a pair of arms wrap itself around her waist from behind. Leaning back into Paige's chest, she placed her hands on top of her girlfriend's arms and sighed when she felt her girlfriend's warm lips on her neck. She didn't regret waiting._

_"You don't have to keep coming back here, Em. I'm back." Paige said reassuringly as she slowly forced Emily to turn around and face her._

_Planting her hands firmly on the wooden railing behind her girlfriend, Paige locked Emily between her arms, allowing the other girl to pull her close when Emily wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's neck before bringing her lips to Paige's._

_"You __**are**__ back." Emily said happily when they finally came up for air._

_"Yes and I'm not going anywhere." Paige promised earnestly._

_They gazed into each other's eyes for a minute before Emily noticed that Paige's attention shifted to the setting sun behind her._

_"What is it?" Emily asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth._

_Paige planted a gentle kiss on her girlfriend's forehead, breathing her in. "I want to take you somewhere." She whispered softly before taking Emily's hand in hers._

* * *

Curled up on the couch as she rested her head on the armrest, Emily looked up when she heard the persistent knocking on her front door. Slowly getting up, she took her time making her way towards the sound. Taking a quick look on the eyehole, she opened the door to face her visitors.

"CeCe. Jason. What brings you two here?" Emily asked warily.

"Pigskin said you were sick." CeCe said as she let her eyes study Emily from head to toe. "I guess she just wanted to keep you safe tonight." She said when she finally decided that nothing was wrong with the girl standing in front of her. "Tell me. Did you know what she planned on doing tonight?" CeCe asked coldly.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, starting to back away from the door.

"I think you know _exactly_ what I mean." CeCe said with a deadly gleam in her eyes.

Before Emily could react, she felt something cold and sharp press against her abdomen. "Get in the car." Jason ordered, the chilling manner he said those words sending a shiver down Emily's spine.

"What?" Emily asked, barely able to hear herself speak with the sound of blood rushing to her ears.

"I said _get in the car_." Jason ordered, pressing the switchblade harder against Emily's abdomen, making her gasp.

"Why?" Emily asked, terrified.

"Because if you don't I have no problem making sure you bleed to death right here on your front porch." Jason whispered menacingly. "Now_ Get. In. The Car_." He ordered ominously as he pressed the blade harder.

Emily closed the door behind her and willed for her steps not to falter as she followed CeCe towards the car, the feel of the cold blade behind her reminding her that she is outnumbered. Getting in the backseat of the car, Jason closed the door behind him and handed the blade to CeCe, allowing him to tie Emily's hands and feet. Emily bit her lip to keep from crying out when she felt the rope cut into her skin.

"Where are we going?" Emily asked nervously once CeCe handed the blade back to Jason and turned around to start the car.

CeCe met Emily's terrified gaze from the rearview mirror and smiled eerily. "You and Paige's love somehow managed to survive the first time I decided to tempt fate. But the guilt she felt for choosing to save you that night almost drove her to the brink of depression and self-destruction. I'm curious to see what happens if I decide to tempt fate tonight. One. Last. Time." She said ominously as she started the drive towards the marina.


	14. Zugzwang

**DISCLAIMER**: _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters belong to others. Characters in this fanfic except for a few belong to PLL. Some events were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL so I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said, the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~Thank you for the continued support and appreciation of the story through all of your reactions and reviews.~**

**~Story's nearing its end! It's going to be done the day 3b starts, meaning I'm posting the final chapter in just a few days.~**

_**Rachel Manlop**_**: Thanks for your PM. Had to search what you meant by a **_**Mary Sue**_** though LOL! I'm not very familiar with fanfic/writing terms since this is the first story I've actually written. BTW thanks for that drawing! I really liked it!~**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Zugzwang**

_**"I knew it like destiny, and at the same time, I knew it as choice."**_** – Jeanette Winterson**

Tara opened her eyes slowly, slightly disoriented. Her head was pounding and her neck felt sore but other than that she felt fine. Trying to adjust to her surroundings, she slowly raised her head and looked around her. _What the fuck?! _Except for the light provided by the moon, everything around her was bathed in darkness. Add to that the gentle swaying and the repeated sound of water lapping on the sides of the boat; the hint of saltiness in the air and she knew she was at sea. She tried to move but realized her hands and feet were tied. Now she remembered how she got there. The sound of footsteps coming from the forward end of the boat made her look towards the direction of the bow.

"Finally you're awake. I was starting to get bored staring at you." Paige said as she stood in front of the bound girl, studying Tara closely.

"Untie me." Tara ordered menacingly.

Paige smirked. "Or what?" She asked as she took a small step back. "I don't think you're in a position to order me around _Nathalie_."

She watched as Tara's eyes widened for a split-second, taken by surprise that Paige knew her real identity, before the other girl broke into a sneer.

"So you finally found out the truth. Took you long enough. Congratulations. You're not as stupid as I thought you were." Tara said, the malice evident in her voice. She looked down at the rope that bound her wrists, crisscrossed one on top of the other before looking at Paige again. "Or maybe you're more stupid than I give you credit for." She said as she began to struggle against the binding, the rope surprisingly gliding against her skin.

Paige smiled in amusement as the other girl tried to hide her discomfort. "I don't think so. See, I think you're not going anywhere. At least not anytime soon. You're tied up pretty good." She said, not bothering to hide her satisfaction at the other girl's situation.

"What do you want bitch?!" Tara spat out disdainfully.

Paige sat down on the marine beanbag she positioned earlier a good distance away in front of Tara, leaning forward so she could be heard clearly. "To talk. That's all. I just want to talk without any interruptions. Without you people trying to kill us every chance you get." She said frankly before glancing at her watch. "We've got plenty of time since I told your sister she needed to find me before I get to the cops." Paige revealed as she let her eyes wander in the vast darkness surrounding them towards the direction of what she presumed was the marina. She turned her attention back to Tara. "I'm pretty sure right now your sister and Jason are busy scouring the town looking for us. Well actually, for you and for this." She quickly corrected herself as she held up for the other girl to see the brown folder she was holding the entire time she and Tara were talking.

"But you don't plan on going to the cops at all, do you?" Tara asked, her eyes narrowed into slits as she studied closely the girl sitting in front of her.

Paige scoffed. "Me? Please. Look around you." She said as she gestured to the seemingly infinite darkness surrounding them. "I told her I was going to the cops and the next thing I do is head for the open waters? Come on. Even _you_ know that that's just stupid. Besides. I just abducted you. Not to mention stole this boat. I think right now it's both in our best interest that the cops are left out of this." Paige said reassuringly.

Tara finally leaned back in her seat. "So what do you want?" She asked coolly, her mind racing as she began to think of ways she can get out of her current predicament.

Paige smiled. "Like I said. I want to talk. I want you to tell me everything. No lies or I _will_ call the cops and hand them this." She said as she held up the folder once again. "I will gladly do the time if it means I get to spend it with you three." Paige said seriously.

Tara stared at the folder Paige held in her hand. "And if I tell you everything? What happens after?" She asked suspiciously. "How do I even know that's the original file?"

Paige shrugged. "You don't. I guess you just have to trust me." She said, not taking the bait in case the other girl planned on getting the upper hand. "If you managed to satisfy my curiosity; if you gave me the answers to my questions, we'll head back to the marina. I'll untie you and give you this file, and then we'll go our separate ways. Forget this night ever happened." Paige explained.

Tara snickered. "Why the hell would I agree to do that?" She asked in disbelief.

"Because even though we're on completely different sides of this thing, the truth is we all just want to be left alone." Paige said exasperatedly. "I want to move forward with Emily. And this file is the only reason why you people are still wasting your time watching our every move. I give you this and we can all just move forward with our lives." She said, waving the folder in the air wildly.

"Maybe so. But I personally don't like loose ends. I want to tie them into neat, pretty, little bows." Tara said callously.

Paige met Tara's cold stare unwaveringly. "After tonight I have no desire to bother you people. I just want to move past everything. I _swear_ I will not bother you three if you don't bother us." She said forcefully.

"Why should I believe you?" Tara asked, skeptical.

"Because one, I _really_ want this thing to end tonight. And two, I _seriously_ don't care a rat's ass about getting justice for Ali. That girl made my life a living hell for years." Paige stated, adding a tinge of disdain in her voice to be convincing.

Tara chuckled. "You were one of her victims too, huh?" She said, thoroughly amused at the new revelation. "Well you may not care about getting justice for her, but you care about getting justice for your parents' deaths." She said, stating the obvious.

Paige nodded her head. "I do. Or at least I did. But after everything that's happened I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it. My folks wouldn't want me to get justice for them if it means sacrificing other people's lives along the way. Not to mention ruin mine." She said quietly. She sat in silence for a moment, letting the other girl study her closely. She finally opened her mouth to speak. "So. Do we have a deal? Tell me the truth, no lies and I set you free and give you the file."

When Tara still refused to accept her proposition, Paige decided to reveal her trump card. "Okay. I'll sweeten the pot. I'll set you free, give you the file _and_ the footage as well." She said, forcing herself not to grin when she saw the look of confusion that crossed Tara's features.

"What footage?" Tara asked cautiously.

Paige finally grinned. "I guess we have a deal then." She said, placing the folder she held in her hand behind her before leaning her back on the beanbag, effectively hiding it from view.

"My sister's going to kill you once she finds you." Tara stated ominously.

Paige shrugged. "They'd have to figure out where I'm hiding first." She said casually.

Something clicked in Tara's mind. _That's it_. The answer to her predicament. "So just to be clear. You won't return to land unless I tell you _everything_." She said, intent on making sure that they won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Paige nodded her head in affirmation, oblivious to the strategy Tara formulated just now. "Yes. But remember. _No lies_." She said, raising her index finger for emphasis.

Tara smirked inwardly. _You're_ _dead. And if I'm right, so is Emily_. _I just need to buy them some time_. "Fine. Let's talk." She said gamely.

* * *

"That was close." Hanna said, the relief evident in her voice as she made a U-turn at the last minute and headed back the way they came.

Beside her, on the passenger seat of the SUV, Aria took a deep breath and finally relaxed her shoulders. "Yeah. Paige was cutting it _way_ too close." She said as she turned to look at Spencer and Dani who were seated at the back of the vehicle. The two girls seemed pretty shaken up with the last minute turnaround as well.

"Where are we headed now?" Dani asked urgently.

Spencer turned her attention to the girl seated beside her. "Back to Rosewood. We need to work fast." She said firmly.

"Let's just hope Paige can keep them at sea long enough for us to find everything we need." Aria said nervously before turning in her seat to face front.

"Where to first?" Hanna asked, looking at Spencer in the rearview mirror.

Spencer thought for a minute before making a decision. "CeCe's boutique. Let's see if we can find Ali's notebook there." She said firmly.

Dani raised her hand. "Yeah, about that. I have a question. Do any of you know how to pick a lock? We might have to pick a lot of locks tonight." She said warily.

"I do. It's one of my many hidden talents. I've got this." Spencer said reassuringly.

"And alarms? Do you know how to get past those too?" Aria asked, one eyebrow raised in surprise at her friend's recent revelation about her lock-picking ability.

"Oh that's my forte. I can bypass any alarm." Dani said confidently.

"Okay another question. What happens if we find what we're looking for? Do we take it or leave it as it is for the cops to find?" Hanna asked, risking another quick look at her friends.

Spencer shrugged. "Depends. Let's just take things as they come." She said before they spent the rest of the ride in complete silence.

* * *

Emily struggled to get some circulation in her hands, fighting back tears as the rope cut deeper into her skin. "Why are you doing this?" She asked, looking at Jason and CeCe helplessly.

Jason took his eyes off the passing scenery and turned his attention to his captive. "We have no choice. Alison ruined our lives. We're just trying to get it back." He explained quietly.

Emily stared at him incredulously. "By sacrificing more lives?! We don't care about any of this. We just want to be left alone. You don't need to resort to anymore violence. You can just leave Rosewood. We won't say anything." She said pleadingly.

CeCe stared at Emily in the rearview mirror. "Oh but I don't like that plan. I want to leave this place knowing no one will think of what happened to Ali ever again. We need to tie loose ends." She said callously.

"But we're not a threat. We never were." Emily said, meeting CeCe's cold stare.

"Tell that to Pigskin." CeCe spat out furiously.

Emily felt herself explode in anger. "Stop calling her that! Her name's Paige! And the only reason she's even in this mess was because you people pulled her in in the first place!" She exclaimed, momentarily forgetting that she was a hostage as she raised her voice at them.

CeCe sneered. "Oh wake up, Emily. I didn't pull her in. The day Nick McCullers agreed to hide the file for Christopher York was the day he signed his daughter's death warrant. All we had to do was make sure your girlfriend knows it too." She explained impassively.

"Please. Just let us go. We don't want any part of this." Emily implored as she looked at Jason once again but her plea fell on deaf ears.

"Begging won't help Emily. Your girlfriend just abducted my sister. Let's find them first. Once I see Thea and the file _maybe_ I'll consider letting you go." CeCe said cagily as she focused her attention back on the road.

"And Paige?" Emily asked hoarsely as she willed her pulse to stop racing. She somehow knew the answer to her question but she couldn't help but ask it anyway.

CeCe met Emily's terrified eyes in the rearview mirror once again and smiled eerily. "Well I think it's about time Pigskin joined her parents in the afterlife don't you think? I mean, I think it's only fair since she already got to spend time with you." She said the words with such finality that for the rest of the ride to the marina, the only sound audible in the car were Emily's quiet sobs.

* * *

"What do you want to know? I'm feeling really chatty tonight." Tara said casually as she met the unwavering stare of the girl seated in front of her.

"Everything. Start from the beginning. Start with how Alison and CeCe met." Paige said, keen to get to the bottom of things.

Tara snorted derisively. "You mean Alison and _Lucy_." She corrected emphatically. "You people seriously have no idea of the secrets that girl kept. Alison always knew who Lucille was. I created 'CeCe Drake' after Ali died and before Lucy had to leave this god-awful town because your best friend's father couldn't keep his mouth shut."

"How did you two end up living here from France anyway?" Paige asked, crossing her arms tightly in front of her chest as a cold breeze blew past them.

"Living? Please. I'm barely surviving here." Tara said disdainfully. "But to answer your question would mean to tell you about our life in France and I don't think we're actually friends to start sharing stuff like that. But I'll tell you this. You people don't know anything about Lucy. You see her as the person who killed her own sister and made your lives miserable all these years. But she's my savior." She declared unwaveringly. "She had the greatest life in France and she is the best sister anyone could ever ask for. She didn't even want to meet her real parents. They gave her up so she gave up on them. Only seems fair, right? But because of her desire to protect me, she pretended she needed to meet them. She told our parents that she wanted to meet the people who gave her up. Just to let them know that she doesn't have any ill feelings towards them and that she understood."

"So they came to the States. Your father purchased that house in the East Hamptons and a year later the DiLaurentises spent a summer there without their children knowing that it was really because Kenneth and Jessica were meeting Lucille." Paige said, confirming her theory as to how the two families orchestrated the encounter.

"Oh, so you did your homework. I was beginning to think this talk was going to be one-sided." Tara said, slightly impressed. "Yes. That's what happened. Before they came to the States our parents called Jessica and said Luce wanted to meet them in person. They planned it so that Luce's younger siblings wouldn't find out. Neither party wanted to reveal Luce's existence. So they decided to have no contact for a year to make it seem like my parents and Luce have been living in the Hamptons before their meeting and that it was purely coincidental that the DiLaurentises happened to rent the house near theirs. It seemed a good idea back then but there was something they failed to take into consideration. They shouldn't have waited a year to meet. Because Jason was already spending his summers there with his friends." Tara revealed ruefully.

"Let me guess. He and Lucille already met." Paige said indifferently. She knew she was supposed to feel sympathy. Maybe she would. If only these people didn't make it their life's mission to ruin other people's lives because of what happened. It was hard to feel sorry for the people who have caused them so much suffering all these years.

"Yeah." Tara confirmed. "A few days after my family arrived in the East Hamptons Jason and Luce met and without realizing they were closely related, entered into a relationship. When they found out the truth it was too late." She said quietly.

"Because they were already in love." Paige said sarcastically.

Tara felt her blood boil in anger. "Don't say it like it's some disgusting thing." She said warningly. "We may have done some wrong things in your concept of morality but that doesn't mean we aren't capable of love."

"So how did Alison find out?" Paige asked, choosing to ignore Tara's ire.

Tara shook her head resentfully. "Someone should have told that girl to stop going through other people's stuff. It could have saved her life." She said coldly. "She was rummaging through her dad's things when she came across a photo of a baby. She thought it was her so she took it. When Luce and her real parents finally met they told her that she has two younger siblings but she agreed that they didn't need to know her existence since she had no desire to be a part of their lives. She didn't even bother to know their names." Tara revealed before pausing to rest for a bit. All this talking was making her parched.

"So how did Alison and Lucille meet?" Paige asked anxiously.

Tara rolled her eyes. "Would you be patient? I'm getting there." She reprimanded Paige before continuing. "Out of sheer boredom, Alison came over one day and introduced herself without revealing her last name. They got along surprisingly well and Luce taught Ali how to make people bend to her will. But Luce had one rule. Never try to manipulate her. And for a while Ali followed that rule. Then the truth came out unexpectedly. Alison saw the exact photo she found in Kenneth's things in Luce's room. She put two and two together and confronted her parents. They told her the truth and the next day Alison told Luce that she knows and that it's perfect because she always wanted to have an older sister." Tara said as she began to strain against the ropes that bound her, trying to get some circulation in her hands and feet.

"Until Ali discovered that Jason and Luce were involved romantically and she started to blackmail them." Paige guessed, ignoring the other girl's discomfort.

Tara chuckled. "_Wrong_. That girl refused to accept hush money at first. She didn't blackmail them. Luce and Jason were the ones who offered to pay her in exchange for her silence. But Ali decided to ask for more than just money from them. She started asking for favors. Little by little Ali began to manipulate Luce and my sister didn't like it one bit. So she began to send Ali anonymous threats telling her to mind her own business or she'll regret it. That's when Ali decided to start pestering me." She said contemptuously.

"You were the person she kept calling in France, thinking you could help her." Paige said, realization dawning on her as one by one the puzzle pieces began to fit.

Tara smirked. "Bingo. Ali knew it was either Luce or Jason sending her those threats through childish means but she had no way to prove it since Luce covered her tracks well." She said gleefully.

"But how did she know about you?" Paige asked quizzically.

"Luce told her awhile back about me. When their problems started Ali decided to give me a call, thinking I could talk some sense into Luce. She was actually the one who told me she and Luce were related." Tara said casually. "She told me how she discovered their connection."

"You got her to trust you." Paige said in disbelief.

Tara grinned proudly. "Impressive, right? Thousands of miles away and I got the bitch to trust me more than she trusted her friends." She said arrogantly. "I'm a far better manipulator than Ali. Even far better than Luce actually. So in a manner of speaking, yes. I got her to trust me. But my loyalty lies with Luce. Not with her sister who I barely know. I told Luce that Ali had been calling me and we decided to work it to our advantage. I got her to tell me everything about her life. Including her friends. She thought I was helping her with her problems with Luce. She was starting to get scared. The seemingly anonymous threats Luce have been sending her were working. She still had no proof that it was Luce's doing and with how she's been poking her nose in other people's business there was probably a line for people who wanted her dead. I tried to convince her to just let things be since Luce was bound to get tired of Jason anyway but Ali was impatient. She wanted them to end things on her say-so and that fueled Luce's anger even more." Tara said calmly.

"How did things escalate to murder?" Paige asked, barely able to hide her shock at how callous these people were.

"It began when my parents decided to return to France. Luce wanted to leave with them because she knew I was in danger without her around but I knew she didn't want to leave Jason behind so I told her not to worry. That I could take care of myself. So she decided to move to Rosewood to be closer to Jason even if Alison was still interfering with their relationship." Tara said as she shifted in her seat.

"And Kenneth and Jessica never found out the truth?" Paige asked dubiously.

Tara shook her head. "Not at first. Although when they did found out it was too late." She clarified quickly. "Alison decided to follow Luce and Jason to a motel on the outskirts of Rosewood and filmed them. For those two that was the last straw. When Ali told them to breakup or the video goes public Luce tried to take it from her and a fight ensued. I guess you know what happened next." Tara said wryly.

Paige furrowed her brows in confusion. "No. I don't." She said, knowing how important it was for the other girl to say the next words and not her.

Tara rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Luce killed Ali and Jason buried the body." She said dismissively. "They immediately went to Kenneth and Jessica and told them what they did saying it was an accident and that they panicked."

"Then what? They just let Luce and Jason ride off into the sunset without taking responsibility for what they did?" Paige asked incredulously.

"Don't be stupid. Of course they were furious. But until you find yourself in that same situation, you can't pass judgment on them." Tara said quietly. "Luce knew how the minds of these people worked and she used that to her advantage. She knew they felt guilty for giving her up and that losing a child is hard but losing _all_ of them? That is something she knew would be devastating to any parent. So she found a way for those two to blame themselves for what happened. She fed on their guilt and it worked. They decided to keep the matter a secret. They pretended that Alison went missing, filed a missing persons report, put up flyers asking for her whereabouts, and even offered reward money for anyone with reliable information. It worked for a year." She admitted offhandedly.

"Until Ali's body was discovered and Dani's father found the blood evidence." Paige reminded the girl bitterly.

"You people had to go and mess up things." Tara said scornfully. "When Jessica called her the first time saying Christopher found evidence that could link Ali's murder to her, Luce decided it wasn't safe to keep existing as Lucille. So I created 'CeCe Drake'. She knew it was only a matter of time before Christopher's conscience got the better of him though so she and Jason decided to watch Ali's friends closely. Find out if Ali told them anything and if they were a threat." She stated casually.

"They started a deranged club for the people Ali have wronged and used them as pawns to further your twisted cause." Paige said with quiet rage as she forced herself to calm down when she remembered all the times Emily's life was put in danger.

Tara shrugged. "Their purpose was to make Ali's friends so focused on keeping their own secrets that they would forget Ali's. But along the way they started to have their own reasons. They saw what they're doing as a means to punish Ali's friends for standing by and letting their manipulative friend have her way. Can't say I blame them, but Luce and Jason decided they've become liabilities, so they had to go." She said indifferently.

"Then Dani's father decided to come forward and you people decided it was time to ruin more lives." Paige said coldly.

"One day Jessica called Luce and told her she and Jason needed to leave Rosewood because Christopher York couldn't keep his trap shut anymore." Tara explained. "Luce agreed to leave but not without making sure everyone in Ali's life would pay for what she did. Including Mr. York. Luce decided to be more aggressive than she already was and asked me to find out what I can about him. Turns out he wasn't always known as Christopher York." She said arrogantly.

Paige shook her head in disbelief. "You did all of these, went to all this trouble to protect a secret that is morally wrong to begin with. You people destroyed so many lives just to make sure that no one ever finds out. A secret like that isn't worth any of this." She said with barely restrained anger.

"This isn't about the secret. This was _never_ about the secret. At least not for me. This is about my sister's life. Her once perfect life that you people destroyed!" Tara exclaimed scornfully. "She left France to protect me and I was just gladly returning the favor when she called and said she and Jason killed Ali because of that bitch's refusal to take hush money in exchange for keeping her mouth shut about their relationship."

"Protecting you? From what?" Paige asked, confused.

"Like I said before this conversation began, we're not friends. You're not privy to that information." Tara said snidely.

"Well you two have a twisted sense of loyalty and family. Most of all love. Alison may be a lot of things but unlike you people, she has a limit. She actually knows when something is morally wrong and her own siblings killed and buried her for trying to do the right thing. How can it not disgust you? They're half siblings! It's wrong! Even Ali understood that. All the money in the world couldn't make it right for her so they killed her. For having a conscience. How could you not see that?" Paige asked despairingly.

"Because there are far worst things in this wretched world than loving your own brother!" Tara's unrestrained fury took Paige by surprise. "You don't know me Paige. You don't know _anything_ about my life. I am telling you there are far worst things. Their relationship is consensual. They're not hurting anyone." She said, barely able to control her resentment.

"Yeah. Until Alison found out. Right? They didn't hurt anyone until someone asked them to stop. Killing Ali and my parents. That's not hurting anyone? Torturing Emily and her friends for years? Ruining Dani's life? Almost killing her?" Paige rambled on, refusing to back down.

"You were all collateral damage because Ali interfered. Every single one of you is paying for her mistakes." Tara stated unemotionally before breaking into an eerie smile. "And Paige, who ever said we planned on killing your parents that night?" She asked chillingly.

"What?" Paige asked, her breath catching in her throat. This was something she didn't know.

Tara grinned at Paige spitefully. "You were supposed to die. Not your parents. _You_."

* * *

"Let's just hope we have better luck here." Spencer whispered behind her as she led the way inside CeCe Drake's house, careful not to make any unnecessary sounds.

"Hey! How many times do we have to tell you? No flashlights!" Hanna said urgently, moving fast to seize the flashlight from Dani when she saw the other girl take it out of one of the pockets of her cargo capri pants.

Dani groaned. "Oh come on. I'm practically blind here." She said pleadingly.

"No kidding. You just grabbed my ass." Spencer said wryly before moving farther into the house, careful not to bump into anything.

Dani felt her face flush with embarrassment. "Sorry. I was aiming for your hand." She said apologetically before she raised her arms in front of her and tried to follow the sound of Spencer's voice.

Suddenly, a loud _thunk_ from somewhere inside the room made the three girls look towards the direction of Aria. Amidst their _'sssh!'_ the girls heard Aria groan. "Son of a..." They heard Aria exclaim in pain. "Okay. Let's just stand for a minute in the dark. Try to adjust our eyes." Aria said as she rubbed her forehead, giving up all pretenses that she's not having any trouble seeing in the dark like Dani after she accidentally walked face-first in front of a display case.

"We don't have time for that." Spencer whispered urgently.

"Yes, we do." Dani said as she turned to look towards the direction of where she assumed Spencer was standing. "It's either we make time or we'll end up doing time. Your choice."

Spencer finally answered after a beat. "Fine. But we have to split up to cover more ground. Two of us go ahead and search upstairs, the other two start searching down here." She said as she moved closer to where her friends stood.

"I'm going with Hanna." Aria said hastily.

"And I get the ass grabber. Great." Spencer muttered under her breath.

"Hey that wasn't intentional!" Dani exclaimed indignantly.

"I was kidding." Spencer said lightly. "But just to be on the safe side tell me ahead of time if you need to hold my hand or something." She added, a hint of amusement evident in her voice.

"I can see fine now thank you very much." Dani retorted, still extremely embarrassed about the whole thing. She wasn't used to spending so much time with Emily's friends and grabbing Spencer's ass in the dark by mistake wasn't helping ease her discomfort.

"Keep your voices down!" Hanna reprimanded direly.

"Han, there're no houses for miles near this one. It's like straight out of a slasher film. No one's going to hear us." Aria said as she looked around, her eyes finally adjusting to the darkness as well.

"We can't be too safe. Let's just take precautions, okay? A lot is riding on what we're doing. The others are counting on us." Hanna whispered as she returned Dani's flashlight. "Especially Paige."

"And we're counting on Paige." Aria said anxiously.

"True. But unlike us soon she's going to be with three people who are capable of murder and she has only one means of escape. If something goes wrong..." Dani felt her throat constrict, unable to finish her thought. "She's completely surrounded by water. There's nowhere to run. So let's just do our part." Dani said quietly, suddenly remembering the gravity of the situation.

"You and Hanna search upstairs." Spencer said to Aria after a beat. "Dani and I will start searching down here." She said as she stole a quick glance at the somber girl standing beside her.

"After you." Aria said as she let Hanna walk past her before following the other girl towards the direction of the stairs.

"Come on." Spencer said, touching the other girl's arm gently to try and shake Dani out of her daze. "Don't worry. Paige is going to be fine." She said reassuringly.

"I'm not just worried about Paige." Dani admitted hoarsely.

"I know." Spencer said, giving the girl a small smile. "They're all going to be fine. I'm sure of it."

As she turned her back to Dani to start looking around, Spencer willed herself to believe the words she just uttered as well.

* * *

"Why? What did I ever do to you people?" Paige asked, unable to believe what Tara just said.

Tara shrugged. "Nothing. Your death was supposed to serve as a lesson to those around you. One they will never forget." She explained nonchalantly. "But we underestimated Emily's love for you that's why you survived the fire. I guess fate had other plans for you two that night. Emily interfered and I had to improvise. I thought to myself; why not kill the lot of you instead? No loose ends. But then your parents died and you and Emily managed to survive. For a while I was pissed." Tara admitted. "I was seriously pissed. I didn't want to stay here longer than necessary. But then I watched how you two fell apart after what happened and I realized things turned out better than expected."

"Are you _that_ miserable that you take pleasure in seeing other people suffer?" Paige asked incredulously.

"No. Just you. I like seeing _you_ suffer." Tara corrected bitterly. "It was better to see you pay for the sin of your father and watch you try to pick up the pieces of what was once your life after the havoc we caused." She said callously.

"Sin? What sin?" Paige asked, baffled.

"Nick McCullers shouldn't have gotten involved. The moment he accepted the file Christopher York entrusted to him, you were as good as dead." Tara explained.

"What, you weren't contented with driving Dani's family out of Rosewood, you people decided to ruin mine?" Paige asked, barely able to contain her rage.

"Hey. Don't blame me. Just when I thought it was all over, Lucy called and asked me to come to Rosewood to take care of the problem once and for all. But with the way things turned out, I really wish Luce called me sooner because seeing you and Emily fall apart after the tragedy wasn't near as fun as knowing what you two were like before the accident. Seeing your downfall from the pedestal these people put you on was more gratifying than tearing apart your relationship after the accident. I really meant it when I told Emily I wish I was here to see your glory days." Tara said, a hint of malice evident in her voice.

"Why?" Paige asked hoarsely.

"Because watching you two fall apart, waiting for the right time to swoop in, was the best part of my stay here in Rosewood. I was thrilled the night I saw you two having a romantic dinner at the marina. That meant Emily finally decided to stop playing _Push and Pull_ with you and me and chose to get back together with you instead by coming clean about everything. For the past two weeks you two granted my wish. I got to see a glimpse of what you two were like before we ruined everything for you in the past. And now I want nothing more than to see you two fall apart once again." Tara said snidely.

"Why are you so intent on punishing us?" Paige asked, trying to understand how someone could hold so much resentment that the only way for them to experience happiness is through the misery of others.

Tara grinned. "Because I want you people to feel what it's like to have someone interfere with your happiness just so they could have their way. I want you people to feel as helpless and angered as Luce felt when Ali tried to control her life." She said spitefully.

"Your sister was anything but helpless. You people make it seem like you were victims in all of this when you've done nothing but ruin our lives. Whose plan was it to abduct me the night of the engagement party?" Paige asked as she struggled to forget the terror she felt the night she was forcibly taken in front of Emily's house.

"Mine." Tara said arrogantly as she struggled to raise her hand despite being tied up.

Paige nodded her head. Tara's answer confirmed what she suspected. "Let me guess. You wanted Jason and Luce to set the plan into motion before you arrived the next day." She said, taking another stab at the truth.

"How did you know that?" Tara asked, genuinely surprised.

Paige grinned. "I've got footage of this boat on Kenneth's slip the entire day I was missing. You three are on it. And I'm pretty sure I am too because I spent the entire day getting high on that bed thanks to you." She said resentfully as she jutted her thumb behind her towards the direction of the deck below.

"You're lying. Luce assured me they tapped into the feeds of all the establishments near Kenneth's slip." Tara spat out, her voice never betraying the anxiety she suddenly felt.

"Oh they did." Paige said reassuringly. "Caleb had a hard time finding this particular footage because he got it from the only establishment that wasn't on land. You people are so full of yourselves you forgot that the boat occupying the slip next to Kenneth's was a floating bar. I guess they forgot to tap into the feeds of that particular establishment." She boasted. Paige smiled inwardly when she saw a flash of fear cross Tara's features. "Don't worry. I said I'll let you have it after we get back to the marina. But first I need you to continue the story of what happened that day." She said, eager to continue their conversation.

"Well since you have the footage, you're probably just confirming some of the theories you have about that day." Tara said flippantly, not willing to show Paige how restless she has become. "Once I arrived I looked after you while Luce and Jason went to your house to search for the file."

"And by _'looked after'_ you meant injecting me with all those drugs." Paige said, needing Tara to admit to drugging her.

"Yes. I mean, I needed to pass the time and you were unrestrained. I can't risk you waking up." Tara reasoned out.

"The entire time you were alone with me or at all?" Paige asked.

"What?" Tara asked, playing dumb.

"Something you people also missed. The drugs in my system after the accident. It showed up on my blood work when I was admitted." Paige explained. "The amount of drugs you injected me with almost caused me to overdose so I'm pretty sure you didn't want me to wake up at all." She said, answering her own question.

"Not really. I mean, I figured since you're going to die in the boat fire anyway, if you overdosed before the fire it wouldn't have made any difference." Tara admitted.

"You're the one who texted Emily earlier that day." Paige said matter-of-factly.

Tara rolled her eyes. "Well duh. Like I said, you're the only one who was supposed to die. We needed to get her out of the way. Luce and Jason made sure Emily won't be able to join the game later that night." She explained patiently.

"By sabotaging her car and stealing her bike." Paige said, remembering what Emily told her about what happened that day.

Tara nodded. "Her only means of transportation. Or so I thought. I forgot that girlfriend of yours can walk so when night came she still found a way to start looking for you." She said, torn between feeling impressed and disgusted by just how much Emily loves Paige. "I've seen lots of girls throw fits when they get stood up by their dates so naturally I expected Emily to throw one when you didn't show up, not go out into the pouring rain and start looking for you."

Paige smiled. "Well like I told you when we first talked, she's extraordinary. Emily isn't like other girls. She's one of a kind and her love for me made her realize that something was wrong when I failed to show up." She said proudly. "What did you do to her car?" Paige asked, curious to know how they managed to disable her girlfriend's car without anyone noticing.

Tara scoffed. "Caleb and Dani aren't the only ones with the technological know-how. I'm smarter and faster than them combined when it comes to dabbling with electronics. One time I accidentally made a subpar EMP and discovered it can cause objects with computers to short-circuit, like cars. All Luce had to do was place it near your girlfriend's car and the damage is done." She said condescendingly.

"And her bike?" Paige asked.

"Jason took it and stowed it in his boat which he then kept all these years in his father's storage space." Tara revealed dismissively.

"Then when I left Rosewood he pretended he went sailing for two years. His alibi the entire time he and your sister were following me." Paige said, confirming Emily's suspicions. "Luce pretended to attend a fashion school in Milan for a year when I stopped visiting Emily."

"Very good." Tara said sarcastically.

"The night of the fire this boat left the slip around 9:30 then came back a few minutes later. Where did it go?" Paige asked, needing to hear Tara confess to what the footage failed to capture.

"Well like you said, you spent the entire day getting high on this boat thanks to me. We had to transfer your deadweight body to the _Kismet_ before I set it on fire. The quickest way would be to move this boat to Jason's slip which happened to be beside your dad's, and then we transferred you. Jason left while I stayed behind to start the fire. I barely navigated this boat out of Jason's slip when I saw your parents and Emily arrive. They were too early so I called Luce, docked this thing then left the marina." Tara explained as she shifted in her seat.

"How did you start the fire? The investigators didn't find any sign of foul play." Paige said, leaning forward to hear Tara's answer when the wind picked up.

Tara sighed exasperatedly. "Of course they won't. I'm not some amateur. At first I wanted to pour gasoline all over the place, make it look like there was a leak. But that's just messy and I didn't want to smell of gasoline after so I caused an electrical fire instead since it is the most common cause of boat fires. And it worked. I mean, you even got the insurance money to prove it so I guess you could say you actually owe me." She said, smirking.

"I never touched that money. You can have all of it. I don't want any part of this mess you caused." Paige said stonily.

"What, you think they'd find out it was deliberate? Please. They wouldn't be able to prove it. Insurance fraud should be the least of your worries right now. But back then I figured you could use it. You know. _For the funeral_." Tara said callously.

Paige wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug look on Tara's face but she forced herself to keep her rage in check. "You planned that game with my folks when you couldn't find the file that morning." She said, going back to the events that happened earlier that day.

"Yeah." Tara said, waiting for Paige to ask her question.

"But you told Luce and Jason to abduct me once I left Emily's house. Why didn't my parents look for me when I didn't come home? They knew I wanted to say goodbye to them before they left for Scranton." Paige said, trying to get as much answers as she can.

Tara smiled. "Jason took care of that. He answered a text from your folks when they asked where you were. They thought you changed your mind and decided to spend the night at Emily's." She said offhandedly. When she saw the pain in Paige's eyes, she smirked. "Oh don't be so glum. Don't worry. They understood. It's not like the last few moments of their lives they thought Emily was more important than them. They weren't mad. I mean, Jason made sure that in your reply you promised you'd be there when they arrive that night." Tara explained before looking like she remembered something. "Oh but then you weren't. You went out for a run. Oops. I guess you _do_ have a reason to look so glum."

Paige decided to ignore the other girl's attempt to get a rise out of her. "What do you mean I went for a run?" She asked, desperate to learn more about what happened the day she went missing.

"Well how do you think we got them to start looking for you? We can't just tell them we took you. We needed them to have a place to start looking. That's how you control the game." Tara clarified, speaking slowly. "Luce forged a note from you saying you went for a run at the track and field stadium. Though since your parents arrived late they have no idea of the exact time you left that note for them. But it didn't matter because we just needed them to think that that was the last place you went to before you were taken. So naturally they would check there first." She said, leaning back in her seat, refusing to let Paige see how uncomfortable she's becoming.

"And Jason was there to tell them where to look next." Paige said, making a wild guess.

"Gold star! Yes. He was there. He gave them the next place they could look for you before he went back to the marina to help me transfer you to the _Kismet_. After that I told Jason to meet Luce at your house to search for the file." Tara said, wondering how long she had to keep the conversation going before her sister and Jason arrive. She was starting to get impatient.

"And while they searched my house you stood in the middle of the road and caused us to crash to buy them more time." Paige said, not bothering to hide the rage she felt this time.

Tara smiled eerily. "I _did_ trigger your memories the night I saw you and Emily didn't I?" She said, extremely pleased.

Paige nodded. "You did. I've been meaning to thank you for that. I've been dying to recall what happened that day." She said, meeting Tara's gaze head on.

"You and me both." Tara said sinisterly.

* * *

_"What's this place?" Emily asked as Paige slowly led her to the edge of a bluff overlooking the marina._

_Paige turned around to face Emily and smiled softly. "This." She said as she moved to stand beside her girlfriend to look at the incredible view before them. "Was supposed to be my surprise the day I went missing." She admitted sadly. "Because of the accident we seem to have forgotten why that day was so important for us. In all the frenzy we forgot that we were celebrating two occasions that day. Our 3__rd__ anniversary and the first day of our life as an engaged couple." Paige said quietly._

_Emily took her eyes off the horizon to look at her girlfriend. "I never forgot." She said, giving Paige a soft smile._

_Paige felt her heart soar. "Well I have a confession to make." She said timidly._

_"What is it?" Emily asked as they moved to sit on the grass but not before Paige took off her jacket for Emily to sit on._

_Paige took a deep breath and held Emily's hand in hers. "I've been carrying around that ring since our freshman year in college." She said quietly as she stared into her girlfriend's eyes. "And ever since that night at the hospital, before the start of our freshman year, when I realized I wanted to marry you, I've been trying to find the right time to pop the question. I really planned to propose to you the day before our 3__rd __anniversary. I wanted to start our 3__rd__ year together as your fiancée." Paige said as she gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Emily's ear._

_She briefly took her eyes off her girlfriend to look at the setting sun in the horizon. "If the accident didn't happen, this would have been my surprise for you that night. This piece of land is breathtaking at night. My parents gave it to us as their engagement and wedding present and I've been so excited to show this land to you but I never got the chance." Paige said sadly._

_"But we're here now." Emily said quietly as she gently nudged Paige, trying to lighten the mood. "That's all that matters." She said reassuringly as she leaned her head on Paige's shoulder._

_They sat in comforting silence for a while before Emily spoke up. "This moment is perfect." She said as they continued to watch the sun set. Emily swallowed hard before turning her head to face Paige. "I'm really scared." She whispered hoarsely in Paige's ear, struggling to fight back her tears._

_Paige moved her arm to wrap it around Emily's waist before kissing her girlfriend softly on the head. "I know. Me too." She admitted quietly. She took her eyes off the horizon to look at the girl beside her. "But no matter what happens tonight, I want you to know that I will always, always, __**always**__ love you." Paige said fervently._

_Emily moved to hug Paige tight, terrified to let her go. "Always have?" She asked breathlessly, closing her eyes as she memorized the feel of Paige's body against hers. "Always will." Paige whispered softly in her ear._

_**88888**_

Emily was jolted out of her reverie when she felt Jason nudge her all of a sudden.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked, seemingly worried.

Emily scoffed. "My hands and feet are tied up and I'm in a car with two people who have a twisted sense of love. No. I'm _not_ okay." She said coldly.

Jason roughly cut the rope binding Emily's feet as CeCe parked the car near the docks. "You better check your attitude or we'll deliver your lifeless body at Paige's feet." Jason said warningly.

"I guess we're going sailing tonight." CeCe said, amused. "Pigskin is making it easy for me to take care of this particular loose end." She said as she turned to look at Emily and Jason.

Jason strained to see outside the windshield and saw that the _Temptress_ wasn't docked in its slip. Meeting CeCe's meaningful stare, he quickly took off his jacket and placed it over Emily's hands to hide the fact that her hands were tied up before gripping Emily's arm tightly. "Make one wrong move and I'll make sure that Paige gets to see you bleed to death right before her very eyes." He whispered menacingly before opening the door and getting out of the car first, practically dragging Emily after him. "Start walking." Jason ordered callously as he put his arm around Emily's shoulders casually and forced her to follow CeCe towards the direction of the _Charles I_.

* * *

"Find anything?" Dani asked quietly as she made her way towards Spencer.

Spencer shook her head. "All I've got so far are takeout menus and unpaid bills. What about you?" She asked, closing the drawer she was rummaging before turning her attention to Dani.

"I'll trade your takeout menus and unpaid bills for this homemade porn courtesy of Ali." Dani said, not the least bit amused.

"What?" Spencer asked, confused.

Dani held up a mini DVD for Spencer to see. "This was on the player when I messed with the TV." She said wryly.

"What's in this?" Spencer asked as she took the disc from Dani.

"CeCe and Jason getting it on in some sleazy-looking motel." Dani said, forcing the image out of her mind. "You don't know how much I wish my amnesia would return right now." She muttered under her breath.

"How do you know Ali filmed it?" Spencer asked as she followed Dani to the front of the house.

Dani picked up the DVD case from the coffee table and showed it to Spencer. "Ali has a habit of scrawling her name on her belongings doesn't she?" She asked wryly. "The handwriting's the same with the notebook I found. That video was probably the last straw for those two. Ali showed that to them and threatened to expose them unless they paid her more."

Spencer nodded. "There's nothing else in here?" She asked as she looked around the room while returning the DVD in its case.

"Nope. Let's head upstairs. Maybe those two are having better luck than us." Dani said as she walked past Spencer and took the steps two at a time.

When they finally reached the landing, they followed the sound of hushed voices down the end of the hall and entered what they assumed was CeCe's bedroom.

"Any luck in here?" Spencer asked anxiously. They were running out of time and they still haven't gathered enough evidence they can take to the cops.

"Try _lots_." Hanna said as she gestured for them to come closer to the bed.

"What did you guys find?" Aria asked, momentarily taking her eyes off the various photos and printouts they placed on the bed to look at Spencer and Dani.

Spencer held up the mini DVD Dani found. "This. According to Dani it's homemade porn starring CeCe and Jason courtesy of Ali. I decided to take her word for it. The last thing I need right now is to see my half-brother screw his half-sister." She said dejectedly. "You two?"

"Well for starters, we found the notebook." Hanna said as she reached for the thin, black object lying in the middle of all the mess on the bed.

"And these." Aria said, gesturing towards the photos and printouts scattered in front of them.

Spencer and Dani leaned closer towards the bed, straining to see in the darkness. "Those are..." Dani said, her eyes widening when she saw what the photos and printouts contained.

"Yeah. I think this is the part where we decide what to do next. Do we take these or leave it behind?" Hanna asked uncertainly.

"If we take these it could affect the case against them, right?" Aria asked, looking at Spencer.

Spencer nodded. "Yeah. Keeping it could weaken the evidence. We need proof that these people have been harassing us for years. If we take it, our secrets remain secrets but..."

"It could mean the case will weaken against them." Hanna finished, conflicted.

"Yeah. So what do we do?" Spencer asked, looking at the other girls for their say in the matter. "We need a unanimous decision and we're running out of time."

"Leave it." Dani said firmly.

Hanna looked at Dani in shock. "Dani. Yours and Caleb is the most damaging. If this comes to light you and Caleb could go to jail." She said, trying to change the other girl's mind.

"Then let's just take the evidence against them and leave ours behind." Aria suggested.

"No." Dani said, shaking her head vehemently.

"What?" Spencer exclaimed, unable to believe Dani decided to be stubborn now.

"It's not fair that your secrets will be exposed while ours remain hidden." Dani explained, looking at all of them.

"Well ours isn't exactly as grave as yours." Aria said urgently.

"Still. Leave it. It's time I face the consequences of my actions." Dani said firmly.

Spencer looked at Dani for a brief moment. "Fine. Let's leave everything where we found them." She said, making the decision for Aria and Hanna.

"Including the notebook?" Hanna asked reluctantly.

"Yeah. We have to. Otherwise we can be charged with breaking and entering. Maybe burglary too." Spencer said helplessly.

Aria let out a sigh. "This sucks." She declared. "We finally found some evidence but because we have to play by the rules we can't take any of these to the cops."

Hanna bit her lower lip before deciding to speak up. "Not necessarily. I have an idea but we have to work fast. We need to split up. You two head over to the marina." She said to Spencer and Dani.

"What about you guys?" Spencer asked, confused.

"We're going to have to deviate from the plan a little." Hanna said hesitantly.

"Why?" Dani asked as her eyes wandered to the mess on the bed.

Hanna took a deep breath. "These are strong evidences and I think we all agree that if we won't get in trouble with the law, we'll take these to the cops directly." She explained. "We're running out of time and I don't know why none of us realized it sooner but we can't take any of the evidence we gather tonight directly to the cops if we obtained it by picking locks and bypassing alarms. If we want to get a warrant tonight, we need the help of a cop who doesn't like playing by the rules." She said quickly. "At least not too much."

"What do you mean?" Aria asked quizzically.

"I mean I'm taking these evidences to Wilden and hope he finds a way to work it to his advantage. He's been dying for a promotion. I think he'll want to help us with this one." Hanna said as she began to gather the mess into a neat pile.

"So we're not leaving these behind?" Aria asked as she began helping Hanna clean up the mess.

"No. We're taking them. Whatever evidence we find we take. I'll make sure Wilden helps us get that warrant." Hanna said determinedly.

Spencer suddenly spurred into action, grabbing some photos and printouts as well. "Are you sure about that?" She asked hesitantly.

Hanna nodded. "Yeah. He's been on this case for years. I'm sure he's willing to bend a few rules if it means getting to close it." She said as she collected the papers Aria and Spencer handed to her.

"Okay. We'll drop you guys off at the precinct then we'll head to the marina." Spencer said as she led the way out of the room.

* * *

Tara stared at Paige unflinching. "When I saw the car go over the cliff, I didn't know whether to feel disappointed that I didn't get the chance to play with Emily or relieved because I wouldn't have to stick around more than I already have. After Luce and Jason got the file we headed home thinking it's finally over but then we got word that you and Emily survived. I would have gone straight to the hospital to finish the job but then Luce realized the file they got from your dad's safe was another copy. Our job wasn't done. She told me to be patient and let you mourn for a while because Luce knew you weren't one to just let things go. Sooner or later you'd want to find out what really happened that night. I'm glad I listened to her because I saw firsthand how self-destructive you can be. You managed to alienate the _one_ person who probably understood what you were going through the most. So thank you." She said, smiling in amusement.

"For what?" Paige asked hoarsely.

"For proving Luce right. For being you." Tara said sincerely. "If not for your guilt and self-destructive nature our plan wouldn't have worked. You played your part _really_ well. We were counting on you to seek out Dani because at the back of your mind you knew she held the answers to some of your questions."

"And my leaving gave you the opening you needed to ingratiate yourself in Emily's life." Paige stated stonily.

Tara grinned. "Right again. Luce taught me how to push the right buttons when it came to Emily and with her help I managed to keep you two apart. I knew the right moment to kiss your girlfriend because of how confused and neglected she felt after you completely shut her out. I knew how she would react when someone she knew saw us together so I made it a point to cross paths with Luce while she was in town following you. I knew you were watching from the shadows when I kissed Emily the night of her birthday and I knew you were on your way to see her the night after she confessed to you about the cheating." She said, shifting in her seat as she strained to listen to the sounds around her.

"All of those just so you could ingratiate yourself in our lives." Paige said incredulously.

"No. Not entirely. It was also to make you suffer more than you already have." Tara explained.

"What?" Paige asked, baffled.

"We knew you wouldn't do anything when you saw me with her because you're the type of person who would rather suffer on her own than drag Emily down with you. So I sabotaged her car for the second time, and then tampered with the clutch gear of mine just so I could walk her home. As for Emily, she isn't one to turn down an offer after she asked me for a ride home. Especially if she thought that I lived across town and I went out of my way to take her home. She thinks turning me down would make her look bad. So you see, everything else in our plan happened because you people played your parts really well. But I gotta ask, you weren't done searching for answers so what made you come back?" Tara asked curiously.

"Not what. Who. I came back for Emily." Paige said quietly.

"Of course." Tara said, rolling her eyes. "What, you realized you couldn't stay away?"

Paige leaned closer to Tara. "I would have stayed away if it meant she gets to move forward with her life. But when I saw the footage I realized Emily was in danger and that you have been playing her all along." She said, controlling her rage.

"Because you were watching us from the shadows until the day you entrusted her to me." Tara said giddily. "I can just imagine the rage gnawing at you from inside when you realized just how close I've managed to get to Emily. And closer still because of your selflessness. But I had no intention of hurting her. At least not yet. As long as you stayed away she was safe. Your return endangered her and her friends because you coming back to Rosewood meant you found out something and we were willing to do whatever it took to find out what it was." She said menacingly.

"You don't need to convince me. You almost killed Dani when you pushed her down the stairs." Paige said, the anger seeping in her voice when she remembered Dani's blood on her hands.

"It wasn't my fault that the girl lost her footing when I took the notebook she had with her." Tara said, refusing to admit she pushed Dani on purpose.

"How did you find out where we were anyway?" Paige asked, trying to confirm Emily's theory.

Tara grinned maliciously. "You know, you and Dani's pillow talk was boring as hell. No wonder you two didn't last. You can't shut up long enough to pay attention to your girlfriend properly." She said, amused. "I actually feel sorry for Dani. If I wasn't so hell-bent on making your lives miserable I would have made a play for her. Satisfied her the way you couldn't. I will make her body bend in ways you can't even begin to imagine. Do things to her you can't even pronounce. She's _exactly_ my type. But we both know she isn't yours because you were lying next to that fine piece of ass and you didn't even try to make a move. You didn't even try to get to second base. The entire time I was listening in I was trying not to fall asleep. It was _'Emily this, Emily that'_. Dani must _really_ love you for her to lie beside you and listen to you whine and moan about Emily when all she wanted for you to do was _fuck_ her. If she did that to me? Kept whining and moaning about you? I would have stabbed her to death in her sleep." Tara said with conviction.

"Then thank god you're not her type." Paige said, clenching her hands into fists. "_Stop_ talking about Dani that way." She said warningly.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to know how I knew you went to that house. You said you want me to tell you _everything_, no lies. I'm just keeping my end of the deal here." Tara said innocently, thoroughly pleased she got a rise out of Paige just now. She sniggered. "Are you _absolutely_ certain you're with the right girl? Because if I'm not mistaken I think just now you were actually jealous. I mean, we've been talking for what, more than 30 minutes and this is the first time you actually warned me to stop talking. So ask yourself why you're _so mad_ that I want to fuck the brains out of your best friend _over and over and over again_." Tara goaded.

In one fluid motion, Paige was on top of Tara, grabbing the girl by the throat. "_Stop_ talking about Dani that way or I will throw you overboard." She said menacingly, momentarily forgetting to keep her rage in check. "And don't you _dare_ start talking about Emily that way or I will stab you before throwing you overboard just to make sure the sharks will feast on you." Paige said ominously, making it clear to Tara she wasn't with the wrong girl.

For the first time since they began their conversation, Tara actually felt terrified of Paige. She got a glimpse of the rage the other girl was trying hard to control and realized Paige will not hesitate to kill her if she pushed too far. She needed to stay alive before Luce and Jason got to her so she decided to tone it down a little.

"Fine." Tara managed to choke out, gasping for air when Paige finally released her grip on Tara's throat.

Swallowing hard, Tara continued when Paige sat down on the beanbag once again. "The room Emily and I shared had a floor to ceiling wall made of glass and it fronted the beach so I had perfect view of your little moment with Emily after everyone went back to the house. After I saw you leave Emily in tears I waited until you were inside the room you shared with Dani then I stood by your bedroom door, listening in on your conversations. When Emily finally came back from the beach, I thought about returning to our room but luckily, Emily decided to sleep on the couch instead so I was able to overhear your conversation about the little excursion you three planned on taking that morning." She explained.

"How did you get to the house so fast?" Paige asked, trying to calm down, aware that Tara was a little shaken up after what she just did. "Emily said she watched you board the bus back to Rosewood."

"I did. But I got off on the next stop. Luce and Jason were waiting for me. They drove me to the house and I snuck in while you and Caleb were talking at the back about some potted plant. I went upstairs and saw Dani scanning the notebook from one of the bathrooms. I texted Luce and she told me to get it by any means necessary when I described what it looked like." Tara explained, craning her neck. It still felt sore from when Paige put her in a chokehold earlier and the other girl grabbing her by the throat just now didn't exactly make things better.

"Then you hid in one of the rooms near the stairs and waited until Dani's back was turned to you, slipped out of the room, grabbed the notebook and pushed her down the stairs." Paige continued, the anger seeping in her voice.

"Yeah. But like I said, it wasn't my fault the girl lost her footing." Tara insisted, still refusing to admit to what she did. "After she fell I hid again and waited until the coast was clear before I left through the back. Luce was waiting there for me."

"And Jason?" Paige asked despite knowing the answer to her question.

"Luce dropped him off at the hospital when I texted her to let her know about what happened." Tara answered. "She knew from how I handled the situation that Dani's injuries weren't fatal so she left Jason to keep tabs on your best friend's condition. When we found out she had retrograde amnesia we knew it was only a matter of time before she remembered what happened." She shifted in her seat before leaning forward. "How's Dani doing by the way? Did she remember faster than you?"

"She did." Paige said, nodding her head.

"Well it doesn't matter. That notebook didn't reveal anything. Luce and Jason are not in there." Tara said dismissively.

Paige chuckled. "For someone who claims to be smarter than Caleb and Dani combined, you're an idiot if you didn't see what Dani did because their names were in there. She just needed Spencer's help to figure it out." She said proudly.

"Irrelevant. You won't find the notebook anyway. We destroyed it." Tara declared nonchalantly.

Paige's eyes narrowed into slits. "I call your bluff." She said coolly.

* * *

Hanna and Aria nervously opened the doors to the precinct, quickly looking around the room for one particular face they've been so accustomed to seeing for years ever since 'A' began to torture them. "Hanna Marin. What brings you to this neck of the woods?" At the sound of Wilden's disbelieving voice, Hanna and Aria turned around just in time to see the entrance door close behind the detective as he entered the precinct.

"Aren't you and your friends allergic to this place?" He asked as he walked towards them.

Hanna fought the urge to give a sarcastic remark knowing they need to convince the guy to help them. "No time for chitchat. I need your help. _We_ need your help." She said as she looked at Aria before looking at Wilden once again.

"What's this about?" The detective asked warily.

"The murder of Alison DiLaurentis and Nick and Olivia McCullers." Hanna whispered urgently.

Wilden shook his head impatiently and walked past them. "I don't have time for this." He said as he made his way towards his desk.

Hanna and Aria hurriedly followed after him. "Here. Take a look at this. Please." Aria said as she handed over Paige's medical record the night of the accident when she was admitted to the hospital.

Wilden grudgingly took the folder and opened it to see the contents. He looked up at them after a beat. "Where did you get this? Did you steal this from the hospital?" He asked in a low voice as he waved the folder at them.

"Look. We came to you because we know you can help us." Hanna said, indirectly answering the detective's question.

"Help how?" Wilden asked, curious.

Hanna stole a quick look at Aria before speaking again. "We've got several evidences against them. But it might not be admissible in court if they found out how we obtained it." She said quietly.

"So you need my help for what exactly?" Wilden asked, returning the folder to Aria and placing his hands on the sides of his waist.

"Use your underhanded ways to find a loophole in the system. Please." Hanna asked urgently.

"Why would I agree to help you?" Wilden asked, seemingly amused at their helplessness.

"Because this is the only case you haven't solved yet. And we know you're dying to get to the bottom of this." Hanna explained impatiently. When Wilden still seemed hesitant to help them, she continued. "Look. We promise the people responsible for these deaths will deliver to you themselves the piece of evidence you've been missing all these years." She said, crossing her fingers behind her back.

Wilden studied them with narrowed eyes before finally extending a hand out. "Fine. I'll take a look at what you have so far. Then I'll decide if it's worth my time."

* * *

"I really can't thank you enough Mark." Spencer said as she and Dani walked hurriedly to try and catch up to the sandy-haired marina employee making his way towards the storage area.

Mark shook his head dismissively and turned around to look at them, allowing the two girls to finally catch up to him. "Consider this payment for that paper you wrote for me. I got a B+ by the way. Which is always better than a C-." He said, giving them a grin.

Spencer smiled back. "Well after this consider us even." She said as she watched Mark pull out the keyboard of the computer in front of him.

"So. What do you need to find out?" He asked as he looked expectantly between Dani and Spencer, his fingers poised to begin typing.

"I just want to know if my half-brother stored his boat here for some time." Spencer said nonchalantly. "Jason DiLaurentis."

Mark nodded. "Yeah, sure. I can find that out for you. Hold on a sec." He said before he began typing Jason's name on the search box. A few seconds later and he shook his head. "Sorry Hastings. There's no record of him here." He said, looking up at Spencer apologetically.

"Are you sure?" Dani asked anxiously.

"Yeah. He doesn't have a space here." Mark said, turning the computer screen a little to face them. "See? Never owned, never leased." He said as he pointed to the names listed on the screen.

"Yeah but his dad has one." Dani said slowly when she saw Kenneth DiLaurentis' name on the list.

Mark turned his attention back to the screen. "Oh. Yeah."

"Kenneth DiLaurentis sold his boat years ago Mark. He's been subletting his slip at the marina because he doesn't have any use for it. Why would he still have a storage space?" Spencer asked thoughtfully.

"Well it's not uncommon really. Some people who own storage spaces here, if they can afford it, keep paying for the unit just in case they decide to purchase another boat." Mark explained.

"Still. It can't hurt if we check it out, right?" Spencer asked uncertainly.

"I don't know Hastings. I don't want to get in trouble. I really need this job." Mark said ruefully.

"Please? It's really important. I'll make it worth your while." Spencer offered.

"What do you mean?" Mark asked, confused.

"I'll do your written reports for one semester." Spencer blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

Mark raised his eyebrows in surprise. "All of them?"

Spencer nodded. "Yeah."

"No grades less than a B+." Mark negotiated.

"You got it." Spencer said, extending a hand for Mark to shake.

Mark took it and shook it firmly. "You got yourself a deal then." He said before releasing Spencer's hand and taking out a key card from the desk drawer. "Follow me."

Mark led the way as they navigated the rows of storage units, stopping once a while as he checked the numbers painted on the walls. He finally stopped in front of a storage unit and slid the key card on the panel beside it, overriding the system. He pushed a button and they stood in tense silence as they waited for the rolling door to rise just high enough for them to slip underneath it.

"Hey. What's that?" Spencer asked once they were inside the spacious unit. From a distance, she could barely make out an object at the far side of the room.

Dani squinted her eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness once again. "What?" She asked before deciding to use her flashlight this time.

"That." Spencer said as she pointed towards the object.

Dani swung her flashlight towards the direction Spencer was pointing, the beam of light reflecting back to them once it hit the object. She moved the flashlight a little for them to be able to see the object clearly. "Is that a bike?" She asked as they began to move towards it.

"Not just any bike. It's _Emily's_ bike." Spencer said in disbelief.

"Your friend Emily's?" Mark asked, confused as to why it seemed like it was such a big deal for the two girls to see a bike inside the unit.

"Yeah. It's been missing for more than two years." Spencer explained.

"Well how did it get in here?" Mark asked as he turned to look at Spencer and Dani.

"I have a vague idea." Spencer said quietly, sharing a meaningful look with Dani. She turned her attention to Mark. "Listen. Thank you. We'll come back again later." Spencer said as she and Dani began to quickly make their way towards the direction they came from.

"No problem. Just don't get me in trouble okay?" Mark said nervously.

"Yeah." Spencer promised. "Thanks Mark." She said as she took out her phone to make a call, following Dani and Mark as they hurriedly made their way back to the marina.

* * *

_Emily slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the darkness of her room. Turning to her side, she expected to see Paige sleeping beside her, but she was surprised to see an empty space instead. Getting up, she rubbed her eyes sleepily before turning to her bedside table to turn on the lamp. The room was suddenly bathed with a dim yellow light._

_"Hey." Paige said softly, mildly surprised by the sudden brightness of the room. She had been sitting in the dark for some time now, the moon's glow her only source of light._

_Emily looked towards the direction of Paige's voice and saw that her girlfriend was seated on the windowseat. "Hey." She said before taking a quick look at the clock on her bedside table. "What are you doing up? It's two in the morning. Bad dream?" Emily asked worriedly as she stood up to join Paige._

_Paige shook her head. "No. I just couldn't sleep." She admitted. "My mind's been in overdrive ever since Tara triggered my memory earlier."_

_Emily smiled at Paige sympathetically. She moved to sit beside her girlfriend when she noticed that the space beside Paige was cluttered with the letters she wrote. She felt her face flush with embarrassment. "Well reading my letters won't help you take your mind off Tara." Emily said quietly. "If anything, it's just going to make you think about her more."_

_"No. It won't." Paige said reassuringly._

_"Then why are you reading those?" Emily asked, feeling exposed._

_"I was watching you sleep and I had this sudden urge to read what you wrote to me." Paige explained gently._

_"Why?" Emily asked, her eyes traveling to the letters once again._

_Paige chuckled. "Well you __**did**__ write these to me. What am I supposed to do with seven hundred twenty-one letters?" She asked teasingly._

_"Keep it. Like a memento. Or a souvenir." Emily suggested, wishing Paige would stop reading her letters._

_"What? And not find out what you wrote in all of these?" Paige asked, gesturing to the open letters on the seat beside her and to the ones still on the tin box she placed on the chair in front of her._

_"Well read it when I'm not around. It's embarrassing." Emily admitted quietly._

_Paige smiled at her girlfriend reassuringly. "No. It's not. They're heartbreakingly beautiful, Em. Just like you." She said quietly. When Emily still looked uncomfortable, Paige gathered the open letters beside her and placed it on the window ledge._

_Taking a deep breath, she held out her hand. "Come here." Paige said, gently pulling Emily to sit beside her. "I will read each of these letters. And once I'm done I will read it again. And again, and again. Until I've committed to memory the things you said. This stuff is pretty incredible." She said, utterly amazed._

_"Why's that?" Emily asked nervously._

_Paige held up the letter she was reading to show it to her girlfriend. "This right here is your heart, Em. This is what your heart is truly made of." She put down the letter and caressed Emily's cheek softly. "I was right about you all along. From the moment I fell for you. I was right." Paige said, staring at Emily in awe. "About your strength, your courage, your beauty. I was right about your goodness and the love you are capable of giving."_

_She tucked a strand of hair behind Emily's ear before stroking the other girl's earlobe. "I am __**so**__ lucky to have you in my life Emily Fields." Paige confessed, her voice catching in her throat. "And that you chose to give that love to me. You never gave up on us. You never stopped. Even when things got rough between us you never stopped. So I will read those letters everyday. Because your letters are a constant reminder of why it will always be you Em. I __**need**__ you." She said fervently. She took an unopened letter and held it up for Emily to see. "This is the reason why it will never work out with anyone else. I know without a doubt that we are meant to be. My future lies with you." Paige said solemnly._

_Emily felt tears of happiness well from her eyes. "Even if reading that means I keep telling you about the kiss?" She asked breathlessly._

_Paige smiled softly. "You may keep telling me about the kiss but the important thing is the fact that you're __**telling**__ me. Your honesty. Sooner or later it won't be about the kiss anymore but your courage to tell me about it. The pain of reading those words will soon be overshadowed by the astounding truth that you surrendered each time you wrote those words to me. Without even knowing you were doing it." She said, the pride and love she felt for Emily evident in her voice._

_Emily rewarded Paige with a dazzling smile. "Well in that case..."_

_"What?" Paige asked, confused when she felt Emily shove her gently._

_"Move over." Emily whispered, taking and opening the letter Paige held in her hand before snuggling next to her girlfriend. "Dearest Paige..." She began as Paige kissed her head softly._

_"I love you." Paige whispered fiercely in Emily's ear._

_Emily looked up at Paige, touching her girlfriend's cheek gently as she gave Paige a lingering kiss._

_**88888**_

"Am I boring you or something?" Tara asked impatiently, raising her voice to be heard against the sound of the waves crashing against the sides of the boat.

Paige took her eyes off the worn-out photo of her and Emily and pocketed it, briefly staring at the darkness surrounding them before turning around to face Tara. "What?" She asked as she walked over to where Tara was seated, annoyed that the bound girl jolted her out of her reverie.

"I asked if I was boring you." Tara repeated. Paige seemed done asking her questions and she can't let the other girl head back to the marina just yet. Not when she knew Luce and Jason were on their way. She needed to buy them more time. "Just now it's like you were in a trance or something. I told you everything. It's time you tell me what I want to know." She said haughtily.

Paige sat down on the beanbag once again. "Fine. What do you want to know?" She asked, meeting Tara's gaze.

"Where did you get the file?" Tara asked curiously.

Paige gave the girl a smug look. "My dad's safety deposit box." She said casually.

"How? We followed you. You went in and out of the bank with nothing on you." Tara said, impatient to know how the other girl managed to take the file without them seeing.

Paige chuckled. "That was the point. You people kept on following me. I knew that and I used that against you. I actually went there to grant access to Hanna's mom. She already took the file out of the box but I had to make things legal. I didn't want to get her in trouble so I went there under the pretense of applying for a loan and Ashley slipped in between the forms I filled up the actual forms I needed to sign." She explained dismissively.

"So how did it get from Ashley to you?" Tara asked, disinterested to learn the answer to her question when her ears suddenly perked up. It was faint. But she heard it. "Listen, while you answer my question do you mind getting me some water in the fridge below deck? We've been talking nonstop and I'm parched." She said quickly.

Paige shrugged and stood up, taking the file with her before she headed below deck. "Ashley gave it to Hanna. Another person you never watched carefully, and then Hanna gave it to Caleb, two people whose interaction you people wouldn't find suspicious since they see each other all the time. Caleb then gave the file to me." Paige explained, raising her voice for Tara to hear as she opened the fridge.

"How?" Tara asked, raising her voice as well. She needed to keep Paige preoccupied as the sound got closer.

"You'll learn soon enough." Paige said as she got a bottle of water from the fridge and closed the door. She looked around the room, her eyes landing on the mirrored closet door a few steps away from the stairs. "I think this chat is over. Don't you? What say you we head back to land and we go our separate ways, pretend this night never happened?" She asked as she began to make her way above deck.

"I don't think so. I think _we're_ headed back to land and this is the end for you." Tara said arrogantly.

"We?" Paige repeated, confused. She looked up just in time to see the _Charles I_ approach the _Temptress_ when she let her gaze wander past Tara.

"Found you." CeCe said in greeting, the deadly gleam in her eyes unmistakable in the darkness surrounding them.

* * *

"How you holding up?" Dani asked hesitantly as she moved to stand beside Spencer, both girls taking in the view of the marina below them.

Spencer shrugged. "Okay. I guess. I mean it's hard. Knowing what Jason did. What they put me and my friends through all these years just to keep their secret. But after tonight things will be over for good. Hopefully." She said, not looking at the girl standing beside her.

Dani took her eyes off the horizon and looked at Spencer. "I have to admit, I'm surprised. You seem to be taking things really well." She said, impressed.

Spencer gave Dani a wry smile. "Yeah well I got used to finding out people around me have secrets so dark they're willing to do anything to protect it. To be honest, the only people I trust right now are my friends." She admitted quietly.

"And Caleb and Paige of course." Dani added, turning her attention back to the horizon.

Spencer gently elbowed the girl standing beside her. "I trust you too." She said lightly.

Dani laughed. "You don't have to say that. I won't be offended if you don't trust me. You haven't known me that long." She said understandingly, crossing her arms in front of her chest when a cold wind blew past them.

Spencer turned to face the girl standing beside her. "Dani, if there's one thing I learned in the past few months that we've spent trying to get to the bottom of things, it's that knowing someone all your life isn't a guarantee that you can trust them. We may not have known each other that long but I've seen how much you love Paige. You letting her go so she and Emily can be together again convinced me of where your loyalty lies." She said reassuringly. "And the others may not have noticed it but I know how much you're struggling right now to find a way to save your friendship with Paige. I just want you to know that I'm your friend too. And it sounds cliché but it does get better."

Dani felt her throat constrict. "Thanks. I guess I needed to hear that. It's been fun hanging out with all of you." She said softly.

"So once all of this is over, you think you could live here again?" Spencer asked, turning her attention to the marina below them.

"Honestly, I don't know. A part of me missed this place." Dani admitted.

Spencer glanced at Dani. "But?"

"There's nothing for me here anymore." She said sadly.

"What are you talking about? Paige is still here. And you've made some new friends, formed new bonds. I think you should try living here again once all of this blows over." Spencer encouraged.

"I'll think about it." Dani said noncommittally. "You think Hanna and Aria convinced this Wilden person to help us?" She asked, changing the subject.

"I hope so. Otherwise we just ruined our chance of sending these people to jail." Spencer said anxiously.

"Aren't they supposed to be here by now?" Dani asked, checking the time on her watch.

Spencer nodded. "Yeah. I tried calling but they're not answering their phones. I wouldn't worry about it too much though. Maybe they just got held up at the precinct." She said, trying to keep the concern out of her voice.

"But they're showing him all the evidence we got so far, right? Proof that those people have been at this for quite some time?" Dani asked restlessly.

Spencer bit her bottom lip. "Uh, not exactly." She said slowly.

Dani turned to face her. "What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

"I mean I took these." Spencer admitted as she produced from inside the sleeves of her button-up blouse several rolled up sheets of paper. She handed it to Dani wordlessly.

Dani's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the contents of the papers. "Spencer." She uttered in disbelief, looking up at the girl standing in front of her.

"I couldn't let you go to jail." Spencer explained hastily.

"This isn't right." Dani argued.

"The statute of limitations where the accident happened is up in a week. Between then and now they need to go through a lot of evidence. They would've missed those anyway." Spencer reasoned out, meeting Dani's stubbornness head-on. When the other girl opened her mouth to speak, Spencer hurriedly interrupted her. "Look, you did what you could when you hit that woman. You immediately called 911 and I'm sure you would've gone back if your life wasn't in danger. But she was in the wrong too. I know it sounds terrible but she shouldn't have crossed the street when the light was green."

"She was probably in a hurry to get home." Dani said, trying to defend the actions of the woman she accidentally ran over.

"Or she was about to commit a crime and you saved someone else's life that night. We don't exactly know what happened and we probably never will. I just think you shouldn't serve time for something that wasn't entirely your fault especially when you have a legitimate reason for leaving the scene." Spencer insisted.

Dani stared at the papers she held in her hands. "I don't know what to say." She said quietly.

"You don't have to say anything." Spencer said reassuringly.

They stood in comforting silence once again before Spencer spoke up.

"Seriously. Don't. I mean you can't. This _has_ to stay between us." Spencer said emphatically.

Dani laughed lightly. "My lips are sealed." She promised.

* * *

Paige watched in stunned silence as CeCe brought the _Charles I_ closer to the _Temptress_. Snapping out of her daze, she quickly moved towards Tara and forced the other girl to stand up, moving her out of CeCe's reach.

"Game over, Pigskin." CeCe said menacingly.

"What are you doing here?" Paige asked, struggling to get the words out.

CeCe feigned confusion at Paige's question. "Well I was under the impression that we were playing a game. I believe your exact words were _'Find me'_. So I'm here. I found you. And I didn't come empty-handed of course. I brought someone to join us. A guest of honor, if you will." She said, grinning eagerly as she moved to the side to show the two people seated behind her.

Paige looked past CeCe and felt her blood run cold when she saw Jason roughly grab a gagged Emily by the hair, the girl's hands and feet tied up. She fought the urge to lunge at Jason when she saw him press the knife to Emily's neck so hard Paige actually saw the blood from where she was standing.

"How did you find me?" Paige asked, never taking her eyes off Emily, studying her girlfriend carefully.

CeCe sniggered. "It _has_ been a while since you've sailed haven't you? You seem to have forgotten that boats have GPS signals nowadays. Gotta love them technology." She said arrogantly. When she saw Paige's defeated look, she smiled eerily. "I don't like wasting precious time so now that our little game of _Hide and Seek_ has ended, I'd like to jump to another game. It's called _Chess_ and you, my dear, are already in _zugzwang_." CeCe declared smugly.

"Zugzwang?" Paige asked, baffled.

CeCe scoffed. "You've never heard of the term _'zugzwang'_ Pigskin? If you play chess, you'd know what it means. I'd recommend that you start playing but we both know this is the end of the line for you. So I'll give you a little knowledge. In chess, a player whose turn it is to move who has no move that does not worsen his position is said to be in _zugzwang_. Every move would make his position worse, and he would be better off if he could pass and not move. Kinda like you. You've got no moves left. Give me the file and my sister and then we'll give you back Emily. I want to avoid increasing the body count but there're two of us and only one of you. You know how easy it is for Jason to get to you while I kill your beloved Emily in front of your eyes." She said ominously.

Paige swallowed hard, her mind working fast to try and even the playing field. "I'll destroy the file. That's what you wanted all along right? I'll destroy the file and then I'll give you Tara in exchange for Em." She said hoarsely.

CeCe let out a derisive laugh. "Nice try. I want my sister _and_ the file. You know Emily is worth more than those two combined. At least to you. I'll destroy the evidence myself. I'm running out of patience Pigskin." She said as she began to move towards a terrified Emily, taking the knife from Jason.

When Jason stood up and began to move towards her, Paige admitted defeat. "Okay, okay. I'll release Tara and then I'll give her the file. Just, don't hurt Emily. Untie her." She pleaded.

"How about I just remove the gag?" CeCe asked, ripping the duct tape off Emily's mouth so fast the other girl cried out in pain. "Now untie my sister." She ordered coldly.

Paige fought back her tears of anger when she saw how much pain Emily was in. Pushing Tara to sit on the marine beanbag, she began to loosen the rope binding Tara's feet together.

"Paige, don't. Don't let them get that file." Emily said pleadingly.

"Shut up!" CeCe commanded, striking Emily across the cheek.

The resounding slap CeCe gave Emily made Paige look up abruptly. "Please stop hurting her." Paige begged, unable to fight back her tears this time.

"Then be a good girl and untie my sister faster." CeCe ordered. "Or Jason is going to do it for you and I guarantee you're going to wish you untied her yourself."

"Paige it's not worth it. I'm not worth it. You're doing this for your parents. Don't choose me again." Emily begged.

"I _can't_ not choose you, Em." Paige confessed brokenly as she continued to untie Tara's feet.

"Yes Emily. Don't you get it? She will _always_ choose you. That's why her parents are so disappointed right now. Because you're weak Pigskin! You can't even avenge them because of your love for Emily!" CeCe spat out, moving in front of Emily to watch Paige untie her sister.

Noticing CeCe and Jason's attention were on Paige and Tara, Emily slowly began to move towards the side. The water lapping at the sides of the boat provided the perfect cover as the gentle swaying of the vessel against the waves helped disguise Emily's progress. When she was near enough the edge, she spoke up.

"I can't let you do this Paige. Not again." Emily said apologetically.

Paige stopped loosening the rope that bound Tara's hands and looked up to see what Emily was planning to do. _This is the reason why it will never work out with anyone else_. "Emily." Paige said warningly, her blood running cold.

"I'm _so_, _so_ sorry. But this is the only way. I love you." Emily said in between sobs.

_We're meant to be_. "Em." Paige said hoarsely, her pulse racing.

Emily looked at CeCe and Jason. "I won't let you use me as a bargaining chip." She said stonily, acting fast before either of her captors could react.

_My future lies with you_. "Em!" Paige yelled in horror as she watched Emily throw herself overboard, instantly disappearing into the pitch-black sea. The file and Tara immediately forgotten, Paige swiftly dove into the cold, black water in an effort to save a tightly bound Emily.


	15. The Constant

**DISCLAIMER**: _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Characters used in the creation of this fanfic belong to PLL except for a few. Some events were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL so I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said, the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic were entirely of my own creation.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic was about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.

**~This is it. The final chapter of my first ever venture into writing fic. Thank you all for the support and appreciation of this story through all of your amazing reactions and humbling reviews.~**

**~If anyone's interested to have a PDF copy of this story, just PM me here or DM me on twitter krystn21.~**

* * *

**Chapter 15: The Constant**

_**"I want you for always… days, years, eternities."**_** – Franz Schubert**

CeCe willed her feet to move faster, impatient to get to her sister and see the file. When the _Temptress_ was finally within her line of sight, she broke into a jog. "Thea." She called out breathlessly as she moved towards the slip.

Tara quickly turned around when she heard the relief in her sister's voice. "Hey." She greeted, hurriedly walking over to the side of the vessel to help CeCe board the boat. "Where's Jason?" She asked, looking past her sister to see if he was close behind.

"Docking the _Charles_ in its slip." CeCe said dismissively. "Let me see it." She said, extending a hand to her sister.

Tara picked up the folder Paige hastily dropped on the marine beanbag moments before she dove in after Emily and handed it to her sister. "So? Is it the original report this time?" She asked after letting CeCe study the contents of the folder closely.

CeCe nodded. "As far as I can tell. Yeah. It is. Did Pigskin tell you where she got it?" She asked, looking at her sister inquisitively as she closed the folder.

"From her dad's safety deposit box. I'll tell you how she did it later." Tara said in answer to CeCe's questioning look. "Do we destroy it or keep it?" She asked, slowly rotating her wrists to try and get the circulation going.

"Burn it. But later. Right now we need to get away from this place." CeCe said urgently, turning her back to Tara to disembark.

"What's the rush?" Tara asked nonchalantly as she walked over to the spot she occupied when she was tied up and took the bottle of water Paige got for her earlier. Taking a seat, she twisted the cap off and took a sip, the cold water soothing her parched throat. "It's not like anyone's following us. Emily's at the bottom of the sea by now and because of her foolishness, in time Paige will soon join her. It might take days before someone finds them." She said coolly.

CeCe leaned against the metal railing and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You're the one who wanted to get out of this town remember?" She said wryly.

"Yeah but I was _just_ tied up." Tara reminded her sister. "Can we stay put until the circulation's restored in my hands and feet? That bitch tied me up pretty good." She said resentfully.

CeCe finally moved to sit on the beanbag. "I still think we should have left this boat with them. Made it look like Pigskin carried out a sort of poetic justice against Emily when she found out about the cheating, committed a crime of passion then took her own life. It would look suspicious if they were found in the middle of the sea with no boat. It would raise a lot of questions like how the hell did they get there and why is Emily tied up?" CeCe explained, keen to cover their tracks.

Tara scoffed. "It would raise a lot of questions if their bodies were ever found." She corrected her sister. "Don't worry about it Luce. It's like what happened to our dearest mom and dad. Lost at sea. I made sure they were never found. It was easy. Messing with the yacht's GPS led them to where I wanted them to meet their end." Tara explained haughtily.

CeCe finally smiled, amused. "I gotta hand it to you. Their demise was your best work yet. I mean, offering to give a reward money to anyone who can provide a lead as to their whereabouts was brilliant. But leading the search and rescue for months? _That_ is pure genius." She admitted, impressed.

Tara laughed heartily. "I _did_ play perfectly well the part of the aghast, grieving child who needed closure. You taught me how." She said, refusing to take all the credit for their parents' passing.

"They needed to die Thea." CeCe stated firmly.

Tara nodded. "Yes. They did. Your plan of keeping them away from me didn't work. It was a temporary solution." She said wryly.

CeCe rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it. The only reason I even thought about meeting Kenneth and Jessica was so that they'd leave you alone." She said, disappointed that her plan didn't work.

"I still can't believe they actually agreed to leave me behind." Tara admitted.

CeCe smiled sadly. "They had no idea I knew what they were doing to you. They thought I saw them as these perfect, loving parents who could do no wrong and would give me everything I wanted so when I asked them to take me and me alone, I knew they wouldn't be able to say no." She said quietly.

CeCe stood up to sit beside her sister. "I actually thought dad would finally focus on some other kid that isn't his. When mom couldn't control his urge anymore and he started making plans to return to France, I knew I had to act fast and introduce Ali to him. I figured better her than you. Ali had a thing for older men anyway so it would be consensual this time. But he wouldn't quit his obsession with you. He had to return and mom just had to tag along to make sure you were compliant. Their arrangement sickens me. It needed to end." She declared stonily.

Tara smiled, relieved. "I thought I lost you when I told you what I did. They've always favored you and I didn't know if a part of you would hate me for taking away from you the people who raised you after your real parents gave you up." She admitted hoarsely.

CeCe shook her head firmly. "You're more important to me. I agree that they had to die." She said reassuringly.

"Just like Ali did for ruining your life." Tara stated, reminding her sister of the reason that brought them in this particular moment.

CeCe smiled. "You and me, sis. It's us against the world." She stated resolutely.

"And Jason." Tara added reluctantly, nodding her head towards her sister's boyfriend when she saw him approach them from the docks.

CeCe turned around to glance at Jason before looking at Tara once again. "I don't know. Now that things are over he kinda lost his appeal to me." She admitted, thinking back to the argument she and Jason had earlier. "It was exciting when we had this secret connection and this common goal. But as of tonight, I'm thinking, I can do so much better. But I have to make sure he doesn't talk once I end things. The last thing I need is a bitter, vindictive ex." CeCe said suggestively.

"Oh I can _definitely_ take care of that." Tara volunteered, smiling eagerly.

"Hey. You guys ready to leave?" Jason urgently asked once he boarded the boat.

Tara stood up slowly, stretching her arms above her head. "Yeah. Circulation's returning." She declared.

"Thea, thanks for your help. For giving us our lives back." Jason said, looking at Tara gratefully.

"Hey, just gladly returning a favor." Tara said reassuringly, sharing a meaningful look with her sister.

"Where to now?" Jason asked, looking at them expectantly.

Tara smiled. "You guys feel like moving to France?" She asked excitedly.

CeCe nodded. "Sounds perfect to me. I think it's about time I went home." She said as she let Jason help her disembark.

"Oh, hey, that reminds me. You like to sail, right?" Tara asked when Jason turned around to help her disembark next. When Jason nodded his head, she continued. "There's this _really_ cool place I want you to check out once we get to France. I can program it to your boat's GPS for you." She offered eagerly.

* * *

Wilden lowered the binoculars he held in his hand, eager to get the show on the road. "That's the signal. Get into position." He ordered behind him before turning around to follow his men, stopping for a brief moment when he reached Hanna and Aria. "You better pray these people have with them what you and your friends promised me. My ass is on the line here." He whispered warningly before walking past Hanna.

Hanna swallowed uneasily, choosing not to say anything as she followed Wilden's retreating back. She and Aria barely convinced the detective to agree to their plan and get a warrant. She knew they owed him big time. If CeCe, Jason and Tara came back to the marina empty-handed Wilden will make sure she and her friends will pay for costing him his job tonight.

"Hanna." Spencer's anxious voice made Hanna focus her attention to her friends. "You and Aria did it." She said, amazed.

Hanna nodded. "Barely." She admitted. "If they don't have with them the file we better start thinking about moving to the Bahamas for good because Wilden is going after our blood." Hanna said anxiously.

"What did you guys do to get a warrant at this time of night?" Dani asked, a tad impressed.

"Well for starters, Wilden made us go back to CeCe's house and return everything we took." Aria explained. "He then broke a window from the outside; made it look like there was a burglary by telling us to ransack every room in the house, making sure we don't leave any prints and that the evidence we found earlier were scattered everywhere. And then he asked one of his trusted informants to make a call to 911 to report the incident."

"He then made sure he was first on the scene by quickly responding to the dispatcher, saying he was already near the vicinity. He made a show of discovering the evidences and then he called, actually, he _bothered_ a judge, insisting that he be granted a warrant tonight based on probable cause." Hanna continued. "If he doesn't get that file he could lose his job and he's going to make our lives a living hell if that happens." She said worriedly before grabbing Spencer's wrist to check for the time. "Caleb should be back by now." She said, almost to herself, before walking past her friends to stare at the dark horizon in front of them. "They're alive, right?" She asked uneasily, looking at the three people behind her.

Spencer shrugged. "I really don't know." She answered truthfully. "Wilden may have seen the signal but I don't know if they both made it." She said as she looked at the twinkling lights the marina provided below them.

"But they're both strong swimmers." Aria reasoned out. "I mean Em's on a swimming scholarship and Paige..."

"Hasn't treaded water in years." Dani finished hoarsely. "She's probably a little rusty but swimming is a skill for life, right? Can you unlearn that skill?" She asked, looking at all of them nervously.

"Now is not the time to be pessimistic." Hanna reprimanded her friends. "They both made it." She said resolutely. "They have to."

"And if one of them didn't?" Aria asked cautiously. "What happens then?"

"Then I'm staying in Rosewood." Dani said quietly. When she saw the curious looks the three girls gave her, she forced herself to look at the vast darkness in front of her instead. "Paige will never let anything happen to Emily even if it meant her last breath was spent cutting Emily loose. I made a promise to my best friend earlier tonight. And if you think only one of them survived, then I'll have to stick around Rosewood to keep that promise." Dani said, fighting hard to control her tears.

* * *

"Let's grab some dinner before heading home to pack." Jason suggested. "All this activity tonight made me famished." He said as he led the way to the car, unlocking the doors once they were near enough.

"I say we just buy takeout. We need to pack as soon and as fast as we can. I'm itching to get out of Rosewood." Tara said, opening one of the car doors to the backseat.

CeCe went around to the passenger side of the car and faced them. "Sounds like a plan. My laptop's at the back." She informed Tara. "You book the tickets while we buy dinner." She said, opening the door to get in.

"Tickets? Going somewhere?" Wilden's inquisitive voice made the three turn and look towards the direction of the approaching detective behind them.

Jason decided to handle the situation. "Detective Wilden. What brings you out here at this time of night?" He asked cautiously, trying to control the uneasiness in his voice.

"You three actually. But most especially, _you_." Wilden said, shifting his attention to CeCe as he moved closer to them. "You've been quite busy these past few years haven't you _Lucille Morin_?"

CeCe crossed her arms in front of her chest defensively. "Am I supposed to know who that is?" She asked, pulse racing. They needed to get out of there.

Wilden moved closer towards them. "You tell me. We have plenty of time to talk down at the station. Bring your friends. They need to answer some questions as well." He said, looking at Jason and Tara.

"About?" Tara haughtily asked, the gears in her head quickly shifting into overdrive. If they acted fast enough maybe they could outrun the detective. She casually looked around her to find a possible escape route but realized to her dismay that they were surrounded by cops in plainclothes.

"For starters, the murder of Alison DiLaurentis and Nick and Olivia McCullers." Wilden stated confidently, gesturing for the other cops to start moving.

"That's absurd! You have no proof of these accusations!" CeCe said indignantly, looking around her as the other cops began closing in on them.

Wilden narrowed his eyes threateningly. "I think we do. A 911 call was made earlier tonight. Someone reported a burglary in your house and I was the first to respond. When I saw those photos scattered everywhere I asked Ms. Marin and her friends to come down to the station to give their sworn statements that you've been victimizing them for years. Their statements served as probable cause that granted me this. Warrants for your arrests." He said, handing the papers to them before turning to the cops. "Cuff those two." He ordered as he pointed to Jason and Tara before moving towards CeCe, stopping an officer before he could handcuff the girl. "This one's mine." He said, dismissing the other cop as he produced his own set of handcuffs.

Turning CeCe around, he went through the motions of reciting the Miranda Rights to the girl while forcefully bringing CeCe's hands behind her. He took the folder CeCe was gripping tightly before cuffing her. "What's this?" He said once CeCe turned around to face him, the defiance evident in her features. Not waiting for an answer, he opened the folder and browsed its contents. "Well I'll be damned." He exclaimed. "It must be Christmas. I've got a missing evidence and apparently a possible sample to compare it to is standing right in front of me." He looked past CeCe and nodded to a cop behind her, signaling for the officer to take the girl away.

CeCe began to struggle. "Hey! Hold on! You don't have solid proof! This is crazy! We want to see this evidence you say you have against us!" She exclaimed, refusing to be taken in quietly. "For all we know those girls broke into my house and made the 911 call after. They're setting us up!"

"Nice try. I already checked their alibis." Wilden informed the indignant girl. "They were on their way to attend a party outside of Rosewood but at the last minute turned around when I called Ms. Marin. I believe you know the host, a Mr. Henrik Thiel, since he happens to be a close friend of yours Mr. DiLaurentis." He said, shifting his attention to Jason. "We checked and those girls are on the guest list. The host said you even called ahead and asked that they be given a special discount to his merchandise. How very brotherly of you. We're asking Mr. Thiel to cooperate, maybe shed some light as to how the same drug he was selling was found in Ms. McCullers' system the night of the crash that killed her parents. I think he has a lot to say on the subject matter." Wilden said reassuringly, making Jason squirm.

"Don't forget this." Caleb said breathlessly from behind them as he jogged the rest of the way to hand over to Wilden a CD. "Sorry I was late. I had to make a quick stop. That taped confession is my best work yet. I've managed to remove the background noise among other things. You'd have no problem hearing everything." He said confidently.

Wilden took it without any questions. "Mr. Rivers, glad to see you've managed to join us. I guess Ms. Marin gave you a heads up about this sudden turn of events." He said in a low voice, gesturing behind Caleb towards the direction of Hanna and her friends. "Why don't you go join them?"

Caleb nodded and turned around to meet his girlfriend but was stopped in his tracks by Tara's surprised voice. "Where did _you_ come from? And what's this taped confession you claim to have?" She asked dubiously.

Caleb shrugged. "Hitched a ride on your boat." He revealed nonchalantly.

"What?" Tara asked, confused.

Caleb walked over to Tara. "Word of advice. Check if you have a stowaway on your boat before bragging to someone your role in this sick game you people have been playing on us for years." He said quietly before turning to look at Wilden once again. "Oh. I almost forgot. I don't know about extradition laws and stuff but I think the authorities in France would want to hear what's on that CD as well. There's a confession there about how this one right here killed her parents." Caleb said, tapping Tara lightly on the shoulder.

Tara violently shrugged Caleb's hand off her. "They deserved it!" She exclaimed spitefully.

"Thea!" CeCe reprimanded urgently, reminding her sister not to say anything. She was about to say something else when she felt her blood run cold when she saw two figures hurriedly approach them from the docks.

"Did we get them?" Paige asked, trying to catch her breath. Beside her, Emily was looking around her anxiously, trying to figure out what was happening. Paige shifted her attention to the speechless girl standing a good distance away from her. "What's the matter Lucy? You look like you've seen a ghost." She said, feigning concern and confusion.

"How did you..." CeCe began, unable to form a coherent sentence as her mind worked in overdrive, trying to figure out how things went downhill so fast. She just stared at the two girls who were looking back at her triumphantly despite shivering in their wet clothes.

"Get here?" Paige continued, moving closer to CeCe so she could stare the other girl right in the eye. "Here's the thing. I _do_ know a thing or two about chess. But guess what? We're not playing on a chessboard so you don't get to decide if I'm in _zugzwang_. I had one move left and I took it. Next time, check if there's a mooring buoy nearby. You never know if a rubber boat may be tied to it." She whispered arrogantly before pulling back. "Because you were so guilty and you three were so intent on getting your hands on that report, you failed to consider something. That file was worthless if the authorities didn't know your connection to the DiLaurentises. So tonight we made sure they would find out who you really are. Emily and I were the decoys, not our friends." She revealed once she noticed that Wilden ordered everyone back to give them a chance to speak out in the open.

"That was one dangerous move you two pulled out there." CeCe said, the rage she felt for having been outwitted evident in her voice. "Are you that desperate?"

Paige shook her head. "No. We're that _determined_." She corrected emphatically as she took Emily's hand in hers. "I was ready to die out there because I knew that once you three reached land you're not going anywhere. I knew once I told you that I have the file and your sister you and Jason would come after me. But to make sure that you wouldn't involve the cops by telling them I just abducted a close relative of yours or whatever lie you decide to spin, Emily left herself unprotected to give you the idea of settling things your way. She let herself be abducted. As for the real reason why you wanted to get to me fast, you're the only one who can answer which is more important." She said, stealing a glance at Tara before looking at Caleb. "You gave them the taped confession?"

"Yeah." Caleb said, nodding. "Had to edit some things out though, like when you flew into a rage. I thought I was going to have to reveal myself to stop you when I saw you lunge at Tara." He admitted quietly.

"I knew what I was doing." Paige said reassuringly. "But thanks for worrying."

Caleb smiled. "Thanks for defending my sister's honor." He said gratefully.

"I was abducted!" The desperation they heard in Tara's voice made them all look towards the direction of the girl who refused to get inside the cop car.

"What?" Wilden asked, turning his attention to Tara. "Unless you can prove that statement I suggest you keep your mouth shut." He said warningly.

"I'm not making it up! She abducted me!" Tara said accusingly, nodding her head towards Paige's direction. "She said she wanted to borrow my boat and asked me to show her around. Next thing I knew, I woke up with my hands and feet bound! She forced a confession out of me! Whatever is on that CD were all said under duress. That is inadmissible in court!" She exclaimed defiantly.

"Do you have proof of that?" Paige asked, walking towards Tara. "Because I have proof that your sister and Jason abducted Emily." She said as she watched Caleb hand over another CD to Wilden.

"How?" Tara asked incredulously.

"Caleb placed a hidden camera in the _Charles_ earlier tonight. I'm sure it caught them red-handed." Paige whispered in Tara's ear before pulling back. "You have no proof that I abducted you and forced you to confess under duress. They can subject that recording to a voice stress analysis for all I care but they're just wasting their time. They don't need to do that because you were anything but under duress the entire time we were talking." She said smugly.

Wilden moved to stand between them, his back turned to Tara. "That's enough. Let's continue this down at the station shall we?" He said to Paige quietly. "You and your friends can follow to give your statements after you and Emily change into some dry clothes." He turned to look at his men. "Take them away." He ordered firmly.

When CeCe was led past her by Wilden, Paige grabbed the other girl's arm firmly. "_Checkmate_." She whispered smugly in CeCe's ear before releasing her grip. As she watched the three people who have caused them so much pain and suffering get taken away, Paige sank down on her knees from the exhaustion, breaking down into tears as Emily held her close.

"It's over. It's okay. It's finally over." Emily whispered soothingly in Paige's ear, holding her girlfriend tight as she gently stroked Paige's hair.

* * *

_Hanna painstakingly opened the rotting door of the rundown cabin she and her friends have been frequenting for the past two weeks and cringed when she heard the door squeak. __**Great**__. __**Half of Rosewood probably heard that**__. Rolling her eyes in frustration, she decided to open the door unceremoniously the rest of the way and entered the room, followed closely behind by Aria and Spencer._

_"We have to stop meeting like this. I feel like I'm turning into an owl. Awake at 3 in the morning hanging out in a rundown cabin in the woods." Hanna complained once she closed the rotting door behind her._

_Following Aria and Spencer, she headed towards the dining room and saw that Emily and Dani already occupied two of the five seats around the dinner table. Paige and Caleb opted to stand to let them occupy the remaining seats instead._

_"Sorry. But if we want to be able to talk freely; we need to do it when they're asleep." Caleb explained apologetically as he pulled out a sturdy-looking chair for his girlfriend to sit on._

_Across from her, Hanna heard Emily groan in response as the other girl struggled to keep her eyes open. "I need caffeine in an IV drip." Emily said before stifling a yawn._

_"Don't worry. This is the last time. I promise." Paige said as she moved to stand behind Emily, placing her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders as she studied the six people in the room with her. Aside from her, Caleb and Spencer were the only ones wide awake._

_"Why are we having this meeting anyway?" Aria asked from beside Emily, stifling a yawn herself._

_"Spencer." Caleb said, gesturing for the girl to speak. "Tell them what you told me earlier."_

_"I got a call from Henrik a few hours ago." Spencer explained as her gaze shifted from Aria to the two girls seated on each side of her. "He said he's going to throw a rave tonight outside of Rosewood. We're on the guest list." She said anxiously._

_"That's why we need to execute the plan tonight as well. What time is it going to start?" Caleb asked as he moved to stand at one end of the table to be able to see everyone._

_"Eight. But no one comes early to those kinds of things so I figured we'll arrive an hour or so later." Spencer answered. Her gaze shifted to Paige. "We can execute the plan at around 8:30. That should give us enough travel time so we're almost near the party and a good distance away from Rosewood by the time you get to Tara." Spencer explained, making it obvious to the others that she's thought about it on the way over._

_"Isn't it a little soon?" Dani asked anxiously._

_"We have no choice. We need them to know that we discovered the drugs in Paige's system and the only way to do that indirectly is under the pretense of Spencer attending that party with you three." Caleb explained. "Besides, we've already gotten most of the details sorted out." He said, looking at Paige. "But let's run through it one more time."_

_"So far Spencer's act is working on Jason and she's been calling Henrik nonstop. All she needs to do now is reel Jason in." Paige began._

_"By leaving Paige's medical file out in the open." Emily said, joining the conversation._

_Caleb nodded. "Yes. Once he sees that, he'd know we're really up to something. He'd quickly go into offense and support Spencer's idea of a good time. Then he's going to follow you guys." He said confidently._

_"But how do you know CeCe will come with him?" Aria asked._

_"The first thing he's going to do after he sees that file is call CeCe and convince her to come with him to take care of the problem. But the four of you have to be careful. Keep in mind that one of them tried to run my mom off the road once." Caleb reminded them._

_"That leaves Tara." Paige said quietly. "At some point CeCe would call her sister. Probably to check up on her or rant about Jason screwing up big time. Tara in turn will rant about me running terribly late to meet her so CeCe will know where we'll be exactly." She continued._

_"Once Tara's guard is down, Paige will knock her out, make the call and head out to sea with Caleb." Hanna said, looking at the two of them worriedly._

_"Just make sure you make that call before we reach the party." Aria reminded Paige. "Our names only need to be in that guest list to incriminate Jason and expose his connection with Henrik. I'd rather the authorities deal with him. Not us." She said anxiously._

_"What happens if I'm late making the call?" Paige asked as she looked from Aria to Spencer._

_"One of us might be getting high tonight." Spencer said uneasily._

_"Okay. I'll make the call in time." Paige promised._

_"Thank you." Aria said, somewhat relieved._

_"Once Paige managed to lure CeCe and Jason out to the sea, you guys are free to gather all the evidence you can, then hand it over to the cops. The more damning the evidence you find, the better. We need to be able to get a judge to issue a warrant for their arrests before they return to land." Caleb continued._

_Paige cleared her throat. "Hanna, tell your mom I'm going to the bank this afternoon. I'm going to apply for a loan so she can slip the forms I need to sign in between the forms I'm going to fill up."_

_Hanna nodded. "Okay. I'll give the file to Caleb when I pick up Dani for the party." She said, remembering what Paige told her over the phone a few days ago._

_Caleb looked at Paige. "Call me when you get to the marina so I'll know when to bring you the file. I'll probably be at the Charles, placing the hidden camera once I'm done securing your escape plan." He said reassuringly._

_"You managed to find a black rubber boat?" Paige asked anxiously._

_Caleb shook his head. "I had to rent one. But don't worry; I didn't rent it from the marina. I'll tie it near the Temptress' slip before heading over to the Charles. Here's the location of the nearest mooring buoy I could find. You still know how to steer a boat right?" He asked as he handed to Paige a scrap of paper._

_"Yeah. I'd have no problem finding these coordinates." Paige said confidently as she studied the numbers Caleb wrote on the paper. She looked up and met Spencer's gaze. "Either Emily or I will give the signal to let you guys know that they're headed back to land." Paige said as she pocketed the piece of paper. "Once you see it from the bluff, tell the cops to head to the docks to meet them."_

_"I'd have to swing by the Charles' slip after we dock but I'm sure I'll be able to hand over Nathalie's confession and the footage from the Charles before they get taken away." Caleb told Paige reassuringly._

_"Sounds like we have everything covered." Paige said, looking around the room. "Let's…"_

_"I think I should wear a wire." Emily spoke up suddenly, turning around to look Paige in the eye._

_"What?" Paige asked, confused._

_"Once they come for me, I want to be able to record everything from the moment they abduct me to when they bring me to you." Emily explained._

_Paige sighed and gestured for Emily to stand up, taking her hand and leading her outside the cabin. Once Paige closed the door behind her, she turned around to face her girlfriend. "No." She said vehemently, shaking her head._

_Emily crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Excuse me? I don't recall asking for your permission Paige." She said, annoyed._

_"The answer's still no." Paige said firmly. "You can get mad at me for a week, a month or even a year but my answer's still no. I won't risk that." She explained quietly._

_"But it would really help the case against them. It's evidence." Emily said stubbornly._

_Paige closed her eyes in frustration. "Em, if they find out that you're wearing a wire they wouldn't hesitate to kill you. Not to mention the whole plan will be exposed." She said anxiously._

_When Emily still looked incensed that Paige forbade her just now, she closed the distance between them. Touching their foreheads together, she cupped Emily's cheek imploringly. "Em, please don't ask me to let you risk your life more than you already planned to. You're already expecting a lot from me by asking me to leave you unprotected so they could abduct you. You told me to save you. How am I supposed to do that if they get to you first? You need to get to me alive. I __**need**__ to see you alive. So please." She whispered pleadingly. "Don't be so stubborn. Just this once please let me forbid you."_

_Emily wrapped her arms gently around Paige's waist. "Okay." She said quietly when she heard the fear in Paige's voice. "I'll get to you alive." She promised as she closed her eyes and rested her head on Paige's shoulder._

_"Good. Because I'm going to save you." Paige vowed. "I'll find you." She said resolutely._

_**88888**_

_Working fast, Paige made sure Tara was indeed out cold before taking the other girl's phone and going above deck, her eyes scanning everywhere until it settled on the folder that was lying on top of one of the seat cushions. __**Right on time**__. She took a quick look below deck, smiled as she watched Caleb begin to bind Tara's hands and feet and made the call on Tara's phone. __**9:12pm**__. __**Barely made it**__._

_Paige steeled herself when she heard the voice on the other end of the line. "Do you know who this is?" She said in greeting._

_"Pigskin." CeCe said, the disdain evident in her voice._

_"Hello Lucille. Or is it __**Lucy**__?" Paige said, not bothering to hide the fact that she knows the truth. She needed them to get mad at her._

_"What do you want?" CeCe asked impatiently._

_"To continue the game you started two years ago." Paige said ominously. "I've got the file __**and**__ since I'm using Nathalie's phone to call you, I guess you know I've got your sister too. Find me before I get to the cops." She said before ending the call._

_"She's out cold." Caleb's reassuring voice behind her made Paige turn around. "I've tied her hands and feet. I'll bring her above deck once we're at sea." He said as he began to coil the unused rope._

_"Are you sure the ropes won't chafe her skin? We have to make sure she won't be able to prove that she was abducted." Paige said anxiously._

_"Yeah. I didn't tie her up too tight so it won't leave a mark and I've coated the ropes with anti-chafing gel. It will slide against her skin when she struggles against it." He said reassuringly. "Are you sure you want to do this?"_

_Paige nodded. "There's no turning back." She said determinedly. "They're probably on their way to abduct Emily." Paige said as she checked her watch. "You have to leave now. We have to be at sea before she regains consciousness."_

_Caleb stole one last look at Tara's unconscious form below deck before looking at Paige. "Be careful." He said before disembarking and heading to a black rubber boat hidden from view behind the Temptress. Starting the outboard motor, he headed for his destination, quickly disappearing into the darkness as the sound of the motor got fainter and fainter._

_Heart pounding, Paige made her way to the bow and started the engine. __**Please be safe, Em**__. She took one final look at the marina before facing the open waters, her face set as she headed for the sea._

_**88888**_

_"Here, give me your hand." Paige said as she extended her arm for Caleb to grab, gripping his hand firmly to help him board the boat. "Are you sure it's secured?" She asked nervously as they stared at the rubber boat Caleb tied earlier to the mooring buoy._

_"Yeah. I checked it thrice. The knot won't come undone easily and the waves aren't that rough tonight. It's secure." Caleb assured before turning his back to head below deck. "She's still out." He said, relieved to see they still had time to move Tara above deck._

_Moving fast, he threw the unconscious girl over his shoulder and made his way up, careful not to bump Tara's head on anything. Carefully, he positioned the girl on the seat facing the forward end of the boat before checking to see if the bindings he did on Tara's hands and feet were still secure. He turned to watch as Paige moved the marine beanbag in front of the unconscious girl, making sure the steps leading below deck is obscured from Tara's vision once she wakes up._

_"That's where you planted the mic?" Paige asked, nodding her head towards the seat Caleb positioned Tara._

_Wordlessly, Caleb moved Tara's body forward and showed Paige the transparent fiber optic mic he taped on the backrest of the seat the unconscious girl occupied. "I placed it after I boarded the boat earlier. I'll be able to pick up the signal from below deck and I can edit the conversations as you go. By the time I'm headed back to the marina with them I would have cleared the background noise and I could give it to the cops." He said reassuringly. "Just make sure you get her to confess to Ali and your parents' deaths. Keep her talking."_

_Paige nodded. "I can do that." She said confidently. "How about the feed from the Charles? Are you sure you're going to be able to monitor that as well?" Paige asked with trepidation._

_"Yeah. I'll be able to burn the footage later and hand it over to the cops as well. I just need to remove the hidden camera once I return to land." Caleb said before he stepped closer and touched Paige's arm gently. "You need to stay focused. She's going to be fine Paige. Emily's really tough." Caleb said reassuringly when he saw how terrified Paige is for her girlfriend. He took out of his pocket several glow sticks. "Here. You turned on the GPS signal?" He asked, looking towards the direction of the bow as he handed the glow sticks to Paige._

_"I'm about to." She said as she pocketed the sticks. "You need to stay out of sight now. She might wake up anytime soon. Remember to hide once I head downstairs later." Paige reminded him before Caleb went below deck._

_When Paige was sure that Caleb is hidden from view, she hurriedly made her way to the front end of the boat and turned on the GPS signal. Sneaking a glance at Tara, she breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw the girl start to regain consciousness. __**Just in time**__. She turned around and walked towards her captive, ready to make Tara talk._

_"Finally you're awake. I was starting to get bored staring at you." Paige said as she stood in front of the bound girl, studying Tara closely._

_**88888**_

_Emily looked at CeCe and Jason. "I won't let you use me as a bargaining chip." She said stonily, acting fast before either of her captors could react._

_**My future lies with you**__. "Em!" Paige yelled in horror as she watched Emily throw herself overboard, instantly disappearing into the pitch-black sea. The file and Tara immediately forgotten, Paige swiftly dove into the cold, black water in an effort to save a tightly bound Emily._

_The instant Paige felt the icy water engulf her, she forced her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The longer it took for CeCe, Jason and Tara to leave the farther Emily sank and she can't let that happen. She needed to act now. Hoping against hope that the three people on the surface weren't paying any attention to her progress, Paige dove deeper before taking out of her pocket the glow sticks, breaking the glass capsules inside to activate the chemicals and surround herself with an eerie glow. She ignored the stinging sensation in her eyes the seawater caused and looked around her. Her lungs begged for air but she dove deeper still. She needed to find Emily. When she couldn't hold her breath any longer, she quickly surfaced and took a huge gulp of air, grateful to see that the boats were gone._

_"Emily!" Paige called out frantically as she looked around her and struggled to stay afloat in the freezing water. She knew it was a waste of precious time since Emily was underwater but she was getting desperate. __**She's been down for too long**__. "Em!" She cried out, starting to panic. __**Damn it! I got the timing wrong. Where are you? I can't lose you. Not now. Not yet**__._

_She dove once again, deeper, heading towards the direction she last saw Emily disappear. Her lungs were begging for air once again and she had to surface fast. Every second she spent coming up for air, Emily sank deeper and she felt her terror and frustration mounting. __**I should've never allowed her to do this**__. __**Shit**__._

_"Emily!" Paige desperately cried out into the darkness once again. __**Please**__. __**Don't take her away from me too**__. She begged, closing her eyes to utter a silent prayer when a memory comes unbidden instead._

…Emily wrapped her arms gently around Paige's waist. "Okay." She said quietly when she heard the fear in Paige's voice. "I'll get to you alive." She promised as she closed her eyes and rested her head on Paige's shoulder.

"Good. Because I'm going to save you." Paige vowed. "I'll find you." She said resolutely…

_Paige quickly opened her eyes with renewed determination and took a huge gulp of air before diving again, moving farther, deeper from the surface. She thought her heart was going to beat right out of her chest when she finally saw Emily, struggling against her bindings. __**She's still conscious**__. __**Thank God**__. Paige swam fast towards her girlfriend and quickly captured Emily's mouth on hers, giving her girlfriend some much needed oxygen. When Emily finally signaled that she's okay, Paige quickly got out the cutter she brought with her from the car earlier that night and proceeded to cut the rope that bound Emily's feet. Her lungs were begging for air once again but she fought the urge to surface this time. She will die first before she left Emily again. She refused to surface until Emily was with her. Once she was done cutting the rope, she quickly captured Emily's mouth on hers once again, giving her girlfriend air she thought her lungs didn't have. When she was satisfied that Emily had enough oxygen in her lungs, she gestured for the other girl to wrap her arms around Paige's neck before she began their ascent._

_The second they broke the surface, Paige let out a choked sob as she held Emily close to her. "Oh god I really thought I lost you this time!" She exclaimed, unable to control her tears._

_"I'm okay." Emily said breathlessly as she took huge gulps of air to fill her lungs, grateful to be able to breathe again. Her hands were still tied but she felt Paige's need to hold her close so she kept still as she let the other girl's tears subside. "I'm okay. I'm right here." She whispered reassuringly, holding close the trembling girl in her arms. "We're okay."_

_Paige forced herself to stop crying. "I'm sorry I got the timing wrong babe. I'm __**so**__, __**so**__ sorry." She said brokenly._

_"Paige." Emily uttered softly as she held her girlfriend tighter._

_Paige finally looked at Emily, touching their foreheads together. "I will __**never**__ let you risk your life for me like that again. I don't know what I would do if I lost you too." She said, the fear evident in her voice._

_"That's not going to happen. You're stuck with me Paige. I'm not going anywhere." Emily promised, kissing Paige on the forehead soothingly._

_"I love you so much." Paige whispered._

_"I love you too." Emily whispered back. "Come on, we need to get going before they get away." She said after a beat._

_Paige quickly cut the rope that bound Emily's hands before they swam towards the black rubber boat Caleb tied to the mooring buoy earlier. "Careful." Paige said as she helped Emily get in. "Quick. Use those blankets to warm yourself." She said before getting in herself and quickly grabbing a flashlight, using it to send the signal twice._

_"Are you sure they won't see you sending that signal?" Emily asked as she continued to dry herself, trying not to shiver from the cold wind._

_Paige nodded. "Yeah. They don't care what happens to us out here. All they care about right now is reaching land and escaping. Trust me. They're not looking back." She said confidently before setting down the flashlight and turning her full attention to Emily. Paige sat for a moment in complete silence as she took in the sight of her girlfriend. __**She's breathing**__. __**She's shivering but she's alive**__._

_Emily gave her girlfriend a reassuring smile. "I'm right here." She said quietly before leaning forward to give Paige a gentle kiss. "Stop looking so worried." Emily reprimanded lightly when she noticed the other girl's agitation. "Thanks for always coming to my rescue." She said softly._

_Paige finally broke into a relieved smile. "Anytime." She said. But as her eyes continued to study Emily, the smile on her lips disappeared._

_"What's wrong?" Emily asked worriedly._

_Paige wordlessly touched Emily's cheek, her hand moving near the other girl's lips. She closed her eyes in anguish when she remembered how CeCe so callously tore off the duct tape from Emily's mouth. Forcing herself to open her eyes, Paige began to stroke Emily's cheek but stopped when the sound of the slap CeCe gave her girlfriend earlier reverberated in her mind. Swallowing hard, she let her hand travel to the side of Emily's neck where Jason held the knife earlier. The blood was gone but the wound was clearly visible. When she felt Emily wince, she let out a sob._

_"Paige, I'm fine. It's okay. It'll heal." Emily said reassuringly as she brought her hand to her neck to take Paige's hand in hers. She felt her heart break when she saw how distraught her girlfriend was as Paige continued to study her wordlessly._

_When Paige's gaze finally landed on Emily's chafed wrists, the tears she was fighting so hard to hold back spilled from her eyes freely. "What did they do to you?" She whispered brokenly as she took Emily's hands in hers and gently kissed the other girl's wrists sorrowfully. "Oh god what did they do to you?" She cried in agony as she broke down into uncontrollable sobs._

_Emily felt tears spill from her eyes, the pain Paige was in over seeing her bruises made her heart shatter. "Paige, I'm fine. I'll be fine." She whispered as she stroked Paige's hair gently. "It doesn't hurt much." She said quietly._

_"I'm __**so**__, __**so**__ sorry." Paige uttered as she rested her head on Emily's lap, her hot tears spilling on her girlfriend's knees. "I'm __**so**__ sorry." She repeated quietly._

_Emily brought her lips to Paige's head. "It's okay. We're okay. We're alive." She said, unable to control her tears as well. "I'm not going anywhere." She promised earnestly. "Come on; let's get you dry before you catch a cold." Emily said as she gently eased Paige up, brushing the tears away from her girlfriend's eyes._

_Turning around, Emily got a blanket from behind her and wrapped it around Paige's shoulders before rubbing briskly the other girl's arms to warm her up. She then took a towel and started drying Paige's hair but stopped when she saw her girlfriend smile at her, seemingly in awe._

_"What?" Emily asked, smiling back at Paige breathlessly._

_Paige shook her head. "Nothing. I just realized something." She whispered hoarsely._

_"What?" Emily asked again, her brows furrowing in confusion._

_Paige touched Emily's cheek reverently. "Have I told you how much I love you?" She asked huskily._

_Emily broke into a dazzling smile. "Yes. But I will __**never**__ get tired of hearing you say it." She answered quietly._

_Paige gently pulled Emily closer. "Just like you'll never get tired of saying..."_

_"I love you too." Emily whispered as she closed her eyes and captured Paige's lips on hers._

* * *

Paige slowly sat in front of her parents' graves, placing a bouquet of red tulips on her mother's marker. She took a deep breath and smiled. "Hey dad. Hey mom. I know it's been a while but, I got great news this time. We got them. We finally got them. Last night. I wouldn't have done it if not for everyone's help. Especially Emily's." She looked at her father's marker. "You heard it right. I got her back dad. I found my one again and I have no intention whatsoever of screwing it up this time. I'm going to ask her to marry me again. Tonight." Paige revealed eagerly.

Oblivious to what Paige just said, Emily silently approached the other girl with a mischievous grin on her lips, poised to grab her girlfriend from behind when she heard Paige speak again. Deciding she didn't want to interrupt Paige while she talked to her parents, Emily stopped in her tracks and instead stood a few steps away from where her girlfriend sat.

Paige brought her knees to her chest and continued; completely unaware that Emily was standing right behind her. "You guys should've seen her last night in action. She was _utterly_ amazing. You'd be so proud of her. I know I am." She said confidently. "She's grown so much. We both have. I didn't think the Emily I fell in love with when we were teens would turn into this breathtaking, remarkable woman who finally found the courage to completely surrender to me like I did to her. I am _so_ lucky to have her in my life and I am always in complete awe of her. I guess you could say I'm falling in love with her all over again which seems impossible considering I never stopped." Paige said, the happiness evident in her voice.

Emily's pulse began to race the second she realized that Paige was talking about her and she found herself taking a step closer towards her girlfriend, curious to hear through Paige's words how the other girl saw her.

"We've been through _so much_ both together and apart but I never once fell out of love with her. If anything, I realized I've fallen more _in love_ with her. I know, I know it sounds cheesy but the love I have for her continues to grow everyday. I love every side of her that I got to see because she helped shape the person I am today." Paige said quietly, resting her chin on her knees as she let her mind be consumed with thoughts of the only girl she has loved all her life.

…_She_ _grew up thinking the world is an ugly place. Never thinking or seeing things as beautiful. But in that moment, she finally saw something wonderful. Emily took her breath away…_

Paige smiled wistfully at the memory. "I was 14 when I literally fell for the caring girl who cradled my head on her lap and made me feel I was safe even when I was bleeding. Emily was the girl I fell in love with as a kid, even before I knew I had a crush on her." Paige began, recalling the moment Emily entered her life.

…_She smiled at Dani widely before blurting out her news. "Emily's my girlfriend." She said, barely able to contain the happiness she felt saying those words out loud..._

Paige took a deep breath. "I was 16 when she first agreed to be my girlfriend even if it meant being my secret. She deserved better because Emily was the unpretentious girl who accepted me for who I am and took a chance on me. She was the girl who gave me the courage to tell the world I'm gay." She continued, remembering the night she and Emily kissed by the latter's window seat after she came to her, confused and scared when she realized she can't lie to herself anymore.

…_She_ _watched as Emily grabbed a cup of green Jell-O and peeled the top off. "It's lime." Emily explained before producing a birthday candle and sticking it in the middle of the Jell-O. "I can't exactly light this in here so just pretend the wick is burning." She said before turning her attention back to Paige. "Go on; make a wish before the candle melts." Emily said, smiling at her tenderly…_

"At 18 I knew with absolute certainty that she's my one. Emily was the sweet girl who laid down beside me that night at the hospital and with a simple gesture made me realize that I was ready to spend forever with her." Paige uttered humbly, smiling when she remembered Emily coming back inside her hospital room with an armload of food and a dazzling smile on her face.

Emily brought one hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her sobs. Paige's heartfelt confession was making her fall in love deeper than she thought possible and she ached to hold the other girl in her arms but she wanted to hear the story of their love through Paige's eyes so she continued to listen.

…_Emily took another step closer to Paige until her foot was almost inside Paige's room. "Am I too late? Did I lose you forever? I want to know." Emily said, her voice hoarse. "That night you came to my house you chose me. Can you tell me if you can do it again? Choose me? Take me back? Can you please just take me back?" Emily asked, a sob escaping her lips. "Because I love you. __**So much**__. And I don't know how to stop. And I can't take it anymore. You said you came back for me. So I'm here. And you're here. And you said you came back..."_

Paige felt her pulse race at the memory and she smiled. "When I thought I lost her forever, three weeks ago she knocked on my bedroom door. Emily was the honest woman who stood outside my room at the Hamptons barefoot and looking sexy as hell while she bared her heart and soul to me. She was the woman who made me realize that just when I thought I had nothing left to give, the immensity of the love I have for her will always be enough." She said, remembering the way she felt when she finally held Emily in her arms again after so many years.

…_She_ _took an unopened letter and held it up for Emily to see. "This is the reason why it will never work out with anyone else. I know without a doubt that we are meant to be. My future lies with you." She said solemnly…_

…_"The day you left I came here after I read your letter. I don't know what exactly made me think of doing it but I figured I would start counting the days until you came back to me." Emily looked at the water in front of them again. "As of today I have been waiting for 773 days for you to return to me." She said smiling wistfully…_

Paige swallowed hard. "When I came back for her I didn't dare hope that she waited for me after all these years. When I stopped watching over her I forced myself to let her go. But she never did the same for me. Because Emily was the stubborn woman who wrote to me all those unsent letters and counted the days until I returned. She never lost faith in us even when I was gone. She was the woman who made me realize that no matter how bleak things seem, if you hold on tight enough, if you wait it out and weather the storm, things still work out." Paige continued, remembering the night Emily read to her the letters she wrote as they snuggled in the window seat.

…_She_ _wrapped her arm around Emily's waist, pulling the girl closer to her before she slowly opened her eyes, staring right into her girlfriend's mesmerizing brown orbs. They stayed that way for a few moments, just staring into each other's eyes, breaths mingling due to the proximity of their bodies. They finally grinned at the same time…_

Paige stared at her hands. "I didn't realize just how much I missed Emily the entire time I was away until I opened my eyes the first morning that I woke up beside her on her bed. The breathtaking woman I woke up next to and the last person I see when I close my eyes every night for the past few weeks reminded me that there is heaven on earth and I am holding her in my arms." She sighed in contentment when she remembered waking up to Emily's kiss their first morning back in Rosewood.

…_Turning around, Emily got a blanket from behind her and wrapped it around Paige's shoulders before rubbing briskly the other girl's arms to warm her up. She then took a towel and started drying Paige's hair but stopped when she saw her girlfriend smile at her, seemingly in awe…_

"And last night, Emily was the fearless woman who sat in front of me in a rubber boat and found the time to lovingly dry my hair in the middle of the sea when we were seemingly lost and surrounded by the never-ending darkness. Her simple gesture reminded me that she's been my guiding light through all of this. She is and will always be, my one, true constant." Paige said solemnly, remembering the moment she realized she wanted to spend forever with Emily again.

Emily finally wiped the tears of happiness from her eyes and walked towards Paige, sitting down beside the girl before kissing her girlfriend soundly, trying to convey how she felt right now. "Thank you for loving me so much." She said breathlessly.

"How long have you been listening?" Paige asked as she studied her girlfriend's tear-stained cheeks, anxious to know if Emily heard her plan to propose tonight.

"Just long enough to know that I am _so_ lucky to have you too. Why? Is there anything you didn't want me to hear?" Emily asked, looking at Paige curiously.

Paige shook her head, relieved. "No. Of course not. I wanted to tell you those things too." She said reassuringly.

Emily brushed a strand of hair away from Paige's eyes. "You didn't have to. I feel it whether we're together or not. But I have to admit it's nice to hear it once in a while." She said softly, kissing her girlfriend once again. "Ready to go?" She asked when they finally came up for air.

"Yeah. Just. I have one more thing to say." Paige said timidly.

"Okay. Do you want me to leave?" Emily asked, moving to stand up.

"No. I want you to hear it too." Paige said, holding Emily's hand to stop the girl from leaving. She looked at her parents' graves once again. "Thanks for forgiving me dad. Moments before we crashed. Thanks for understanding what I couldn't at the time. Once I got past the rage and the pain, once the darkness lifted, I realized what you did. And I understood. Mom didn't die on that crash like you did because you found the strength to move and protect her too. Like I did with Emily. I finally understood what you said about not feeling guilty for loving someone more than I love you guys because it's incomparable. The love I have for you is different from the love I have for Emily. Just like the love you have for me and mom. So you don't have to worry anymore. Wherever you guys are. Take good care of mom for me dad. Emily and I will take good care of each other. I promise I'll take really good care of her." She said, staring into Emily's eyes.

"Thanks for forgiving me, Em. It may be hard to understand but you've forgiven me. By accepting the love I have for you, you've forgiven me." Paige said humbly.

Emily kissed Paige on the cheek. "Thanks for letting me love you the way I do too." She whispered in her girlfriend's ear softly.

* * *

"P, it's not for good. I think. But Rosewood isn't my home anymore." Dani said reluctantly.

Paige sighed. "I know. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'll miss you. A lot." She said. But what she really wanted to say was that she didn't want Dani to leave just when she got her best friend to finally start talking to her again.

Dani managed to give Paige a faint smile. "Me too. I kinda got used to spending time with you again after years of spending time apart." She admitted.

"Are you nervous?" Paige asked, noticing Dani's restlessness.

Dani shook her head. "More like excited. I can't wait to meet Caleb's mom and I can't wait to see my dad again after all these years. I just hope I don't disappoint him." She said, now suddenly getting nervous.

"Are you kidding? I think he's throwing a bloc party for you. Because of what we did your family gets to stop living in constant fear Dani. He's anything but disappointed in you. Trust me." Paige said reassuringly.

Dani finally threw her arms around Paige, hugging her best friend tightly. "Ugh. I'm _so_ gonna miss you!" She exclaimed, realizing they're going to be fine after all.

Paige quickly recovered from her surprise at Dani's sudden display of affection and hugged her best friend back. "Thanks for everything. Not just for the whole finding out the truth stuff but for being the best friend I need. Promise me we won't lose touch again." Paige said quietly, glad that they were on their way to forging a new friendship.

Dani nodded before pulling away. "I promise. Once I get settled, you can come visit." She shifted her attention to the girl who kept silent the entire time she and Paige were talking. "You too Fields." Dani said, giving the girl a genuine smile.

"It's not necessary." Emily said timidly.

Dani rolled her eyes. "Come on. Tell me you're not willing to try being friends with me for this girl right here." She said, pointing to Paige. "I'm a pretty awesome friend. Just ask your girlfriend. And unlike before, I've come to accept my place in Paige's life." Dani admitted.

"The awesome best friend?" Emily asked hesitantly.

Dani shook her head. "The _really_ awesome _close_ friend. There's an opening in her life for a new best friend and I think you're perfect for the position." She said sincerely, giving Paige a wink. "But seriously Fields, thank you. For finally seeing Paige's worth and letting yourself fall completely for her. You made her start living again. I'm glad she'll never be alone anymore so I don't have to worry about her too much."

"Well thank you too." Emily said quietly.

Dani furrowed her brows. "For what?" She asked, confused.

"For playing a role in bringing us back together. I know how hard it is to give up Paige. I tried and I failed." Emily admitted, looking at her girlfriend.

"Well you two belong together and you know it. So I think despite trying to convince yourself that you're willing to let her go, in the end, your reluctance to just accept how things are made you fight for her." Dani explained. Though it still hurt a little, seeing them together, Spencer's words last night gave her hope. _It does get better_.

Paige finally decided to speak up, feeling her cheeks turning red. "Um, you guys, it's kinda uncomfortable listening to you two talk about me when I'm standing right here." She admitted timidly. The two girls must have found her discomfort endearing because she earned a kiss on the cheek from Emily and an eye roll from Dani. "So, Hanna's coming with you and Caleb?" She asked Dani, deciding to change the subject.

Dani nodded, looking at Hanna and Caleb who at the moment were both busy looking at the people passing in front of them. "Yeah. He wants to introduce her to my dad. She's kinda nervous about it actually. I told her if she introduces me to a girl I'd put in a good word for her." She said, smiling when she saw the two argue about something.

"Did it work?" Paige asked, looking at Caleb and Hanna.

"She's still looking." Dani admitted. "That's why they're probably arguing right now." She said as she nodded her head towards the couple, grinning when she saw Hanna point to a girl and then roll her eyes when Caleb shook his head. "She's _really_ nervous about meeting my dad." Dani said, the laughter evident in her voice.

"What are you guys going to say to them? About this whole 'A' thing?" Emily asked, lowering her voice.

"Well we won't tell them about everything." Dani said reassuringly as she focused her attention back to Emily and Paige. "Just what they needed to know. That these people had a twisted sense of love and loyalty and it made them ruin lives because of it." She checked the time on her watch and sighed. "We have to get going. Our flight leaves in an hour." She said reluctantly. "Say goodbye to Aria and Spencer for me."

"Yeah. They said they're sorry they couldn't make it today." Emily said apologetically.

Dani waved her hand dismissively. "It's cool. Tell them they can come visit too if they have the time." She said, moving to give Emily a quick hug to the other girl's surprise.

"I will." Emily said, hugging Dani back. "I'm gonna go say goodbye to Hanna." She said, giving Paige's hand a light squeeze before heading towards her friend.

Paige watched Emily for a moment before turning her attention back to Dani, surprised when she saw the girl's knowing smile.

"You're going to ask her to marry you again aren't you?" Dani asked, genuinely happy for her friend.

Paige nodded, the thought suddenly making her palms sweat. "My face is like an open book to you." She said reluctantly.

Dani laughed. "Not really. I just saw you practicing earlier in the ladies' room." She revealed wryly. "Don't be so nervous. You know she's going to say yes."

Paige smiled. "Thanks for the pep talk." She said sincerely as she watched Caleb approach them. "All set?" She asked when he was within hearing distance.

"I don't know. Hanna's been a nervous wreck because someone told my girlfriend that the only way her dad is going to like Hanna is if she put in a good word." Caleb said, pointedly looking at Dani.

"I said it would _help_. I didn't say he won't approve entirely." Dani said, rolling her eyes in mock indignation.

Paige smiled. "Tell Hanna she has nothing to worry about. Mr. York is easy to please. He likes blueberry pancakes for breakfast so if Hanna cooks that for him, she's won him over." She said to Caleb reassuringly. "Ow!" She suddenly exclaimed when she felt Dani punch her on the arm. Hard. "What did you do that for?!" She asked, rubbing her arm and checking it for bruising.

"You really want me to die alone, don't you?!" Dani asked, trying to look incensed. "Geez Paige, thanks. At this rate I have no chance of meeting anyone." She said, pouting.

Paige laughed. "Take good care of Dani for me." She said to Caleb. "I have a feeling she's going to break someone's heart one of these days." She said before looking at Dani seriously. "You're an amazing catch Danielle York. You don't need Hanna's help to meet someone." Paige said sincerely.

Dani gave Paige a wry smile. "Thanks for the pep talk. You'll be the first to know when I meet someone." She promised.

"We better get going." Caleb said, checking his watch for the time. "You coming?" He asked Dani as he began to walk towards Hanna.

"Yeah. I'll be there in a sec." Dani said before turning her attention back to Paige. She hugged her friend one last time. "Make sure I'm invited to the wedding."

Paige nodded. "Call me when you get the chance." She said, hugging her friend tightly.

* * *

"You okay?" Emily asked her girlfriend quietly.

Paige nodded. "I just miss her already." She admitted as she and Emily walked hand in hand towards the parking lot.

Emily gave her girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek before wrapping her arms around Paige's waist. "Well I know she misses you too. Don't worry. Your friendship will survive." She said comfortingly before she stopped when they finally reached her car.

Paige quickly opened the door to the passenger seat for Emily. "I'm the designated driver for today." She explained, refusing to let her girlfriend get the keys to her own car. "Until your bruises heal I will wait on you hand and foot." She said quietly as her eyes traveled to the gauze on Emily's neck and wrists.

"Paige, I'm fine. I can still drive." Emily said reassuringly.

"I know you can. I just don't want you getting tired." Paige admitted softly.

Emily leisurely wrapped her arms around Paige's neck before pulling her girlfriend close and bringing her lips to Paige's ear. "What if it's a good kind of getting tired?" She asked teasingly, nibbling her girlfriend's earlobe. She laughed when she felt Paige pull her closer.

"Well just as long as you promise to get lots of sleep afterwards, I don't mind you getting tired that way." Paige whispered as she caressed Emily's back lazily.

"I can do that." Emily said before pulling back to stare into Paige's eyes.

Paige took a deep breath, her eyes traveling to the gauze on Emily's neck once again. "You know, I kinda feel sorry for Luce and Thea actually. There's no excuse for what they did but this all started when Luce tried to help Thea by bringing their parents here in an attempt to stop what their father was doing to his own daughter. If they just told someone who could help instead of trying to do things their way, Luce wouldn't have met Jason, they wouldn't have fallen in love and Ali would still be alive." She said, stepping back to let Emily get inside the car.

Emily shook her head. "Or fate would have still found a way to bring us right here. Things happen for a reason, Paige. We may not understand it and refuse to accept it but we can't live our lives thinking about the what ifs. We'll have too many regrets if we do that." She said quietly.

Paige broke into a grin. "Did you just say _fate_? Since when do you believe in fate?" She asked, amused.

Emily touched Paige's cheek gently. "Since you took me in your arms and pulled me inside your room at the Hamptons. Because just like you said, it helped you find your way back to me." She admitted happily.

* * *

_19C. 20C. 21C. Touchdown_. Dani thought, grinning inwardly when she finally got to her seat. Across the aisle, just a few rows in front of her, she noticed that Hanna and Caleb found their seats as well. When her brother turned around to check on her, she gave him a thumbs-up. Though the three of them had to sit separately, they were lucky the flight still had available seats. It was a last minute sort of thing. Going home. But Dani had no problem sitting a few rows behind Caleb and Hanna by herself if it meant she got to see her dad tonight.

She settled on her seat and took out her iPod, looking forward to spending the entire flight getting some sleep. The past few weeks they've all been sleep deprived because of all the scheming, but that was about to change. She was about to select a playlist for the trip when a shadow fell over her.

"Sorry. I just need to get to my seat. 21B." Looking up, Dani was startled to see a girl about her age standing over her. The girl was sporting a pixie crop haircut that pronounced her cheekbones, her chestnut brown hair seemingly tousled by a light breeze. Dani stood up to let the other girl pass and immediately noticed that the girl was a little taller than her.

"Thanks." The girl said once Dani sat down next to her, rewarding Dani with a smile that revealed the girl's dimples.

"Uh. Yeah. No problem." Dani said hoarsely, her eyes meeting the hazel orbs of the other girl's.

"I'm Nice." The girl said, extending a hand for Dani to shake, her deep set eyes crinkling as she smiled warmly.

Dani tore her eyes off the girl's perfect features and stared at her outstretched hand. "Kinda full of yourself aren't you?" She asked, slightly put off by the other girl's lack of humility.

"What?" The girl asked, puzzled as she withdrew her hand.

"You're _nice_? What's next? You're gonna tell me you're hot?" Dani asked, the words escaping her lips before she understood what she just said. _Great_. _As if she needed another ego boost_.

The girl smiled teasingly. "So you think I'm hot?" She asked, extremely pleased.

Dani felt herself getting flustered. "What? _No_. I said _you_ think you're hot." She said, hoping her cheeks weren't turning a deep shade of red.

"Because I said I'm nice." The girl clarified.

"_Yes_." Dani said emphatically.

The girl's laughter made Dani's pulse race. "Well because that's my nickname. My real name's Berenice." The girl explained when she finally stopped laughing.

Dani wanted to crawl under a rock and die of embarrassment. "Oh. So you're not just nice. Apparently you're _Very Nice_." She joked, trying to redeem herself. "I'm Danielle." She said, surprised she just used her first name to introduce herself.

The girl laughed again. "Great sense of humor. I like that. You can call me Erin if you want. Just so it doesn't confuse you." She said, extending her hand once again.

"Erin." Dani repeated as she shook the girl's hand, her skin tingling at the innocent contact.

Erin's eyes traveled to Dani's lips once the other girl uttered her name. "You are starting to make me regret flying home to have dinner with my mom and her boss just so I could meet her stepdaughter." Erin admitted.

"You're flying home for a blind date?" Dani asked, surprised. With her looks, Erin doesn't seem to need any help getting herself a date.

Erin shook her head. "I wouldn't call it a blind date exactly. It's just dinner to help my mom impress her boss. I was visiting my dad but I actually live with my mom so technically, I'm going home tonight. Just when I thought it already sucked that my visit was cut short because of it, now I have to endure dinner with a girl who's probably some rich, stuck-up snob while thinking of someone else entirely." Erin said, her eyes meeting Dani's.

"Well who knows? Maybe you two will end up hitting it off." Dani said, trying not to seem disappointed.

"I could try. But I really doubt I'll like her." Erin replied, still staring at Dani.

"Why's that?" Dani asked, inclining her head to the side.

Erin shook her head in disbelief. "You're adorable." She muttered under her breath before facing forward, not bothering to answer Dani's question.

* * *

Paige's hips rose to meet Emily's quick thrusts, her movements becoming erratic as her body screamed for release. Emily's wet core slid up and down Paige's rock-hard thigh and she ached to slide her fingers inside Emily but her girlfriend's other hand kept her arms locked above her head.

"I want to touch you." Paige whispered raggedly, begging Emily to release her grip on her arms.

"Not yet." Emily whispered in Paige's ear, doubling her efforts as her thrusts became faster, her thumb drawing circles on Paige's clit. She hungrily captured Paige's lips on hers, absorbing the other girl's moans.

The way Paige's body responds to her touch drove Emily mad with desire. Her heart was hammering and her pulse was racing madly. Her senses were heightened, her body fully aware of how it fit perfectly with the girl writhing beneath her. Tonight wasn't enough. _This_ wasn't enough. She wanted early morning kisses everyday and endless hours of lovemaking every night. She wanted to be selfish. She wanted to belong. She wanted forever. Kissing Paige's sensitive spot, she bit her lower lip and placed her lips near her girlfriend's ear.

"_Marry me..._" Emily whispered passionately.

The moment those words left her lips, Emily's eyes flew open and she suddenly became aware that the girl underneath her stopped moving as well. She slowly pulled back and withdrew her fingers from inside Paige, feeling her cheeks turning red.

Paige tried to catch her breath as she gazed in amusement at the flushed girl lying on top of her. She missed Emily's fingers moving inside her and her entire body was still screaming for release but the words Emily just uttered brought their movements to a screeching halt.

"Did you just... propose to me during sex?" Paige asked, her breathing still ragged but the surprise evident in her voice.

Emily felt her cheeks turning beet red. She sat up and grabbed a part of the bed sheet, covering herself while running a hand through her hair. "I know. It just came out. I'm so sorry." She said apologetically.

Paige propped herself on her elbows and looked at the girl who was straddling her, giving Emily a small smile. "Well did you mean it?" She asked softly, her pulse beginning to race faster.

Emily tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and licked her lips. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. This is so embarrassing but she didn't want to lie. She remembered what she was thinking moments before she uttered those words. Why she said those words. Gazing at the stunning girl beneath her, she realized she didn't utter those words in the heat of the moment. She really wanted forever with Paige. Emily tenderly brushed a strand of hair away from Paige's eyes and nodded her head.

The sight of the naked, blushing, raven-haired beauty sitting on top of her still fully aroused body convinced Paige that despite the torture her body was feeling of not being able to cum, she was experiencing heaven at the very moment. Paige smiled teasingly, her heart pounding wildly. "But you don't have a ring. My dad said you can't propose without one." She said breathlessly.

Emily felt herself getting even more embarrassed at her impromptu proposal and exhaled loudly. Maybe it was too soon. They _did_ just get back together. "Fine. I take it back. I'm unproposing. Can we just continue where we left off?" She asked, running a hand through her hair.

"How do you suggest we do that?" Paige asked teasingly despite wanting to do just that. "It's kinda hard to continue where we left off when you say something like that."

"Fine. Let's just sleep then." Emily said, finally moving to sit beside Paige on the bed, exceedingly embarrassed.

Paige looked at Emily and smiled widely before reaching for something inside the drawer of her girlfriend's bedside table, quickly turning on the lamp.

"But... lucky for you, I happen to have one." Paige said before she wrapped a part of the sheet around herself as well and promptly kneeled on the floor on the side of the bed facing Emily, her action surprising the other girl. Paige watched as Emily's cheeks turned a brighter shade of red, her lips breaking into a dazzling smile when she realized what Paige was about to do. Paige finally admitted the truth. "I was planning on doing this later but, I think this moment is perfect."

Paige gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Emily's ear before beginning. "This time, there's no sunset, no skywriter to ask you in some grand romantic gesture for all of Rosewood to see. This time, it's just you and me, in all of our stark nakedness, in this dimly lit room where I first opened up myself to you and you accepted me for who I am. Emily Fields, I can't promise you that everyday between us will always be perfect. I can't promise that we won't fight, we won't cry, or that we won't get frustrated at each other. But I can promise you that even through all of that you will be loved. You will _always_ feel that you are loved. Because _you_ are the only thing I am certain of in this world."

"I'm your constant." Emily whispered hoarsely as she smiled through her tears, her heart beating wildly.

"You're my constant." Paige affirmed reverently as she brushed her girlfriend's tears away. Emily let Paige put the ring on her finger. "I have loved you since forever. Even when we're not together I loved you. You saved me from the darkness that threatened to consume me and became my guiding light. My home. You chose to hold on when I tried to let go and never lost faith in us. So I'm asking you again to let me spend the rest of my life with you. My breathtakingly beautiful Emily Fields, will you marry me?" Paige asked humbly.

Emily nodded her head wordlessly as she felt her throat constrict. She hugged Paige tightly and finally found her voice. "_Yes_. I'll marry you." Emily said through her tears. "It took me a while to realize it but you're my constant too. Paige McCullers, I am _so_ irrevocably in love with you." She whispered breathlessly.

Once Emily pulled away, Paige excitedly climbed back into bed, tenderly cupping Emily's cheek before kissing her passionately. Touching their foreheads together, Paige broke into a wide smile as she gazed at a grinning Emily and felt a happiness she thought she would never feel again. "Now we can continue where we left off." She whispered huskily before eagerly capturing Emily's lips on hers again, the familiar feeling at the pit of her stomach returning as she brought herself on top of Emily.

* * *

"Told you she'd say yes." Dani said into the phone as she sat on the porch swing of her dad's house. "Congratulations P." She said sincerely.

"Thanks. You're the first person I really wanted to tell." Paige's elated voice on the other end of the line made Dani smile. "Though my proposal didn't go exactly as planned." She admitted sheepishly.

"Why's that?" Dani asked as she stole a quick look at the front door.

"Well Emily proposed in the heat of the moment then she _un_-proposed. Then I realized the moment's perfect, so I proposed right there and then." Paige explained hastily.

Dani felt her jaw drop. "So what you're saying is you proposed to your girlfriend stark naked?" She asked before laughing so hard, she almost dropped the phone.

"It's not funny! Stop laughing!" Paige chastised Dani mock indignantly. "I had a sheet wrapped around me if it helps." She said, trying to redeem herself but it only made Dani laugh harder.

Dani wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm so sorry." She said in between intakes of breath. "It's just that, how did you go from candlelight dinner and a trail of rose petals at the bluff to proposing to her in the nude?" Dani asked incredulously.

"Well it seemed romantic at the time." Paige said defensively.

Dani smiled. "It is." She admitted. "It's better actually. Kinda symbolic. For the two of you and your relationship. It may not be some grand romantic gesture but knowing you, I think you still found a way to make the moment memorable." Dani said, suddenly becoming serious. "I'm so happy for you Paige."

"Thanks." Paige said. "But enough about me. How's the flight?" She asked.

Dani shrugged. "Okay. I sat beside this girl." She said casually.

"And?" Paige asked expectantly.

"And nothing." Dani said, feeling her face flush when she remembered Erin's dimpled smile.

"Doesn't sound like nothing. Spill." Paige ordered when she heard the catch in Dani's voice.

Dani rolled her eyes. "We didn't exactly hit it off. I was a little standoffish. Her name's Nice." She said, stealing a quick look at the front door once again.

"Really? What is it?" Paige asked eagerly.

Dani chuckled. "No. That's her name. Nice." She said, amused that Paige misunderstood the name like she did.

"Oh. Got it." Paige said, waiting for Dani to continue.

"Yeah, well, that's the problem. I didn't at first. So I made this comment about her being full of herself 'cause she said _'I'm nice._' Then I said something like, '_What, you think you're hot too?_' and she corrected me and said her nickname is _Nice_. Her real name is Berenice." Dani said, rushing to explain what happened.

"Oh so she's not just nice. She's _Very Nice_." Paige said, chuckling.

Dani laughed, amused that she and Paige still think the same way. "I know! That's what I said too! But then she told me to call her Erin so I did and then she had this weird look in her eyes." She said, her heart skipping a beat when she remembered Erin's gaze.

"Weird how?" Paige asked.

"I don't know. I'll tell you once I figured it out." Dani promised.

"So… you think she's hot huh?" Paige asked teasingly.

Dani groaned. She knew Paige was going to bring that up. "_No_." She said, her answer sounding a little defensive than she intended it to be.

Paige laughed. "Well can you describe her to me?" She asked.

Dani heard the front door open and close and instantly felt her pulse race even before she looked up. "Uh, P, I gotta go." She said faintly.

"Oh come on! Just describe her to me in one word." Paige begged.

Dani swallowed hard. "Unexpected." She said quietly as she moved to the side to make room for the person who just joined her.

"What? That's not a word to describe someone!" Paige protested.

"Yes it is." Dani insisted. "Listen, I'll call you again tomorrow." She promised.

Paige sighed. "Fine. But don't think you're getting out of this one. I want to hear more about this Erin girl. Get some rest. Goodnight." She said lightly.

"Goodnight." Dani said, ending the call.

"I take back what I said earlier." Erin said once Dani faced her.

"Which part? About you having to endure dinner with me or about me being a rich, stuck-up snob?" Dani asked, feigning hurt, surprised she was able to form a coherent thought despite how close Erin sat next to her.

Erin smiled, giving Dani a chance to see her dimples once again. "Well, that _and_ the part where I said I doubt I'll like the stepdaughter. And for the record, I said _probably_." Erin said, laughing lightly as she placed her hands inside the pockets of her leather jacket. "I am willing to make it up to you if you'll let me." She offered as she moved closer to Dani.

Dani swore she just heard herself gulp. "Why's that?" She asked, extremely aware of the other girl's proximity. Erin smelled of green apples and it was quickly becoming her favorite scent. Dani felt herself getting flustered when she noticed that Erin was looking at her in that weird way again.

"You're so adorable." Erin sighed before leaning forward and kissing Dani softly on the lips. "I've wanted to do that since you called me Erin." She admitted before meeting Dani's eyes. "And those blue eyes of yours are going to be the death of me." Erin said, shaking her head.

_So that's what that look meant_. "Erin." Dani uttered as her eyes flew to the other girl's lips, her heart beating fast. It took her by surprise the first time and she wanted to feel the other girl's lips on hers once again.

Erin smiled and slowly leaned forward, giving Dani a chaste kiss. "Now kiss me back Danielle." She said softly as her lips hovered mere inches away from the other girl's. "Kiss me back or I might start to think you don't like it." Erin whispered, so Dani did.

* * *

"This view is definitely worth getting up earlier than usual." Emily admitted, her eyes never leaving the horizon as she and Paige watched the first rays of the sun touch the sea. Leaning back, she let her body relax against Paige's as her fiancée leaned her back on the side of Emily's car.

"I wanted to see my first sunrise here with you. I feel like it's a new beginning for us." Paige whispered, taking a deep breath as she wrapped her arms around Emily's waist, pulling her fiancée closer.

"This is _definitely_ our new spot." Emily said, finally taking her eyes off the horizon and slightly turning her body to look at Paige.

Paige smiled and gently ran her hand through Emily's silky hair, her other hand finding her fiancée's like it was drawn to its mate. "Hey. I almost forgot." Paige said when she felt the ring on Emily's finger.

"About what?" Emily asked, stepping back a little to completely face Paige.

"The date you had engraved on this ring. You said you'd tell me someday what it meant." Paige said as she took her eyes off Emily and stared at the ring on her fiancée's hand.

"Oh. The explanation's really simple. It's the date of our first picnic." Emily revealed.

Paige looked up at Emily in confusion. "You engraved on your engagement ring the day you decided we should just be friends?" She asked, baffled.

Emily shook her head, smiling faintly. "No. I engraved on my ring the date I realized just how much I liked you. We saw things differently that day Paige. You may not believe this but… for you it was the day I pulled away; for me, it was the day I fell for you. Remember what we were doing that day?" She asked, inclining her head to the side.

"Lying on a picnic blanket listening to music." Paige answered. Of course she remembered everything about that day.

"Yeah. And I asked you to come with me to see the band's concert _next_ month. We only had our first date the previous night and I was already making plans to go on a date with you the next month. _That's_ how much I liked you." Emily admitted, her heart racing when she remembered how she felt lying next to Paige that day. How she couldn't take her eyes off Paige when she saw how happy and relaxed the other girl seemed and how she felt when she realized that she was the reason for Paige's happiness.

Paige smiled in disbelief. "I didn't know you felt that strongly about me back then. It was pretty easy for you to decide you can't be more than friends with me when I said I didn't want to risk being seen with you. So I thought even if you did like me, it wasn't that big of a deal." She admitted.

"I didn't either." Emily said quietly. "But, there was this one day, while you were away and I came by to visit your parents' graves, when I remembered that day and I realized that was the moment I fell for you. That's why it hurt when you said you didn't want to be seen with me. Because you already meant so much to me." She said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I'm a little slow until recently when it came to my feelings for you but I realized now that ever since that day I've been falling for you. I just didn't want to admit it to myself."

"Because you thought I wouldn't catch you." Paige said hoarsely. "I'm so sorry I ever made you feel that way."

Emily shook her head. "No. I knew you'd catch me. I knew if I was patient enough you'd find the courage to come out for me eventually. I just, I wasn't ready to fall completely." She admitted.

"But now you've surrendered to us." Paige said, cupping Emily's cheek. "We _have_ grown haven't we?" She said, smiling at her realization.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. We grew up separately and together. But now we're moving forward together." She said, returning Paige's smile.

"I like the sound of that." Paige said as she stroked Emily's cheek tenderly.

Emily took a deep breath and sighed. "I need to get to campus. I have early swim practice." She said reluctantly.

"I'll come with you." Paige offered quickly, wanting nothing more than to spend the entire day with Emily.

Emily grinned. "I'd like that. You owe me a lot of walks too." She said as she offered her hand for Paige to take.

"Then I guess it's a good thing that I'm going back to college next semester." Paige said, taking Emily's outstretched hand.

"You're serious?" Emily asked eagerly.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I did promise my dad I'll focus on my studies again once I found the people responsible for their deaths. But it's next semester so for now I'm thinking of auditing some classes." She admitted.

"So you'll be in school all day with me?" Emily asked, grinning.

"Yeah. I'll walk you to all of your classes starting today. Is that okay?" Paige asked hesitantly.

"Okay? It's perfect! I'm not complaining." Emily exclaimed giddily.

Paige laughed. "Good." She said as she and Emily made their way towards the driver's side of her car.

Opening the door for her fiancée, Paige waited for Emily to get in and was pleasantly surprised when Emily turned to face her instead; Emily slowly wrapped her arms around her fiancée's neck and Paige instinctively wrapped her arms around Emily's waist. They stared into each others' eyes until Emily's lips broke into a soft smile.

"I love you, Paige McCullers." Emily whispered softly.

Paige pulled her closer. "I love you too, Emily Fields." She said fervently.

"Always have?" Emily asked breathlessly, her eyes traveling to Paige's lips.

"Always will." Paige answered solemnly before kissing Emily with all the love in her heart.


End file.
